ayamay encode a novel component involved in Notch signaling. S. Suzuki 1, M. Ito 2, N. Kishi 1, Y. Matsuno 3, S. Artavanis-Thakonas 3, H. Okano 1,2, K. Matsuno 4. 1) Dept. of Neuroanatomy, Osaka Univ. Graduate Sch. of Med; 2) CREST/JST; 3) Cell Biol., HHMI, Sch. of Med. Yale, USA; 4) Dept. of Biology Sci. and Tech. Sci. Univ. of Tokyo.
Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to control cell fate specification through local cell-cell interaction. Despite the increacing number of proteins which have been shown to interact physically with the intracellular domain of the Notch receptor, many aspects of Notch signaling system is unclear. Deltex is known to act as a positive regulator of Notch signaling and binds to the intracellular domain of the Notch Receptor. However, biochemical functions of Deltex in the regulation of Notch signaling is elusive. The aya locus was identified in a genetic modifier screen involving the thickened wing vein phenotype of a loss-of-function deltex. Viable and weak alleles of aya had a recessive wing vein thickening phenotype. aya showed genetic interactions with the several genes involved in Notch signaling, such as Delta, Suppressor of Hairless, and nd 1. We also observed genetic interactions between aya and several wing vein genes, including blistered, net, and plexus. Our results inducate that aya plays an essential role in the wing vein formation. We will present a detailed genetic and molecular analyses of aya.