G·A·B·B·A

Although the regulation of size is a fundamental developmental process, how tissues grow to achieve their correct dimensions remains an open question in biology. Classic embryological studies have suggested that organs contain intrinsic information about their final size.
During the last years, scientists have focused on understanding the molecular basis behind this developmental process. Recently, a new tumor suppressor pathway, the Hippo pathway, was found to be involved in the regulation of tissue size in Drosophila.
Despite recent progress in elucidating the molecular basis behind the Hippo pathway, many questions remain to be answered. On the one hand, from a cell signaling perspective, additional players remain to be identified. On the other hand, from a developmental biology perspective, we know little about how this regulatory pathway is coupled to tissue growth and differentiation programs during normal development. Also, and of utmost importance, the nature of the upstream signals and the physiological context in which they regulate Hippo pathway activity remains unclear.
We will perform a large-scale RNAi screen in Drosophila wing. We aim to unravel new molecules involved in the regulation of size, and contribute to a more complete understanding of the control of tissue growth. In particular, we aim to uncover novel regulators of the Hippo pathway and to understand the role of this new pathway in the size control mechanism.