Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2023
Höfundar / Authors: Theodóra Björk Ægisdóttir, Sigríður Rut Franzdóttir
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: Háskóli Íslands
Kynnir / Presenter: Theodóra Björk Ægisdóttir
Glial cells are important components of a fully functional nervous system. One of the traits which define glial cells is migration, which allows the cells to migrate to places where they control neuron development and ensure the insulation of axons. Drosophila melanogaster is a good model for the study of glial cells since the fly nervous system contains a limited number of glial cells. In this project the potential roles of two ATPases of the AAA+ family in glial cells of the eye imaginal disc were determined. These ATPases have been shown to have a variety of functions many of which involve key cellular processes. Silencing of the ATPases was performed with RNA interference to observe their effect on cell number, distribution, and survival. This was done in all glial cells as well as in smaller clones of cells. Analysis of the data showed reduced number of glial cells in the eye disc as well as the optic stalk, in line with previously identified roles of the ATPases in cell proliferation. Irregular distribution was also observed along with lower pupal eclosion which indicates that the expression of the ATPases in glial cells is necessary for migration and survival.