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Mol. Cell. Biol. doi:10.1128/MCB.01743-07
Copyright (c) 2008, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

awd, the homolog of metastasis suppressor gene Nm23, regulates Drosophila epithelial cell invasion

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: dammaiv{at}musc.edu. hsut{at}musc.edu.

	Abstract

Border cell migration during Drosophila oogenesis is a highly pliable model for studying epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and directional cell migration. The process involves delamination of a group of 6-10 follicle cells from the epithelium followed by guided migration and invasion through the nurse cell complex toward the oocyte. The guidance cue is mainly provided by the homolog of PDGF/VEGF family of growth factor, or Pvf, emanating from the oocyte, although the Drosophila EGF receptor signaling also plays an auxiliary role. Earlier studies implicated a stringent control of the strength of Pvf-mediated signaling since both down-regulation of Pvf and over-expression of active Pvf receptor (Pvr) resulted in stalled border cell migration. Here we show that the metastasis suppressor gene homolog Nm23/awd is a negative regulator of border cell migration. Its down-regulation allows for optimal spatial signaling from two crucial pathways, Pvr and JAK/STAT. Its over-expression in the border cells results in stalled migration, and can revert the phenotype of over-expressing constitutive Pvr or dominant-negative dynamin. This is a rare example demonstrating the relevance of a metastasis suppressor gene function utilized in a developmental process involving cell invasion.