The pigmented cells of the body, the melanocytes, have long been a favored cell type for studies of the genetic and epigenetic factors involved in cell differentiation, partly because pigment makes these cells easily recognizable without any staining, but also because of the astonishing variety...

Nearly all of the known structural molecules in insect flight muscles exist as multiple isoforms. Both post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms are responsible for this variability. Among these mechanisms, alternative splicing is noteworthy for the ability to create a large...

The transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) is involved in a whole range of bio logical functions, from cell growth to cell differentiation and apoptosis. The role of TGFbeta in epithelial-mesenchymal-transitions (EMTs) has been shown for both embryonic development and tumorigenesis. All...

As a member of the Phylum, Cnidaria, hydra is organized a simple gastric tube with a head and foot pole. The entire body wall of hydra is organized as a epithelial bilayer with an intervening extracellular matrix (ECM). The major components of hydra ECM are highly conserved and reflect those...

This contribution is to discuss key elements of the intracellular signaling cascades that bring about the cellular transformation referred to as epithelium-to-mesenchyme transition (EMT). EMT can be defined as the events that allows epithelial cells to dissociate from the tissue from which...

Insect flight is powered by muscles that attach more-or-less directly to the wings (direct flight muscles) and muscles that bring about wing movement by distorting the insect’s thorax (indirect flight muscles). Flight stability and steering are achieved by differential activation of power...

In Drosophila, paramyosin and miniparamyosin are structural components of thick filaments that have a similar structure to the myosin heavy chain rod tail. Both proteins are rod-like molecules with a high alpha-helical content in the long central domains, and exist as dimers. While...

Spinal muscular atrophies (SMA) are characterized by degeneration of lower motor neurons and occasionally bulbar motor neurons leading to progressive limb and trunk paralysis associated with muscular atrophy. SMA is a recessive autosomal disorder with an incidence of 1 out of 5000 newborns and...

The recent advances in experimental technology allows us to assess the mechanical power output and function of the Drosophila flight muscle within the context of the flying animal. In an intact animal, production and control of aerodynamic forces during flight depend on several factors...

Congenital muscular dystrophies are autosomal recessive diseases characterized by generalized hypotonia, delayed motor milestones and involvement of the brain. A large subgroup of this rather heterogeneous disease is due to mutations in one of the chains of the extracellular matrix molecules...