Richard Fehon, Ph.D.

Regulation of Epithelial Polarity and Proliferation During Development

Research Summary

Our interests center on the molecular mechanisms by which signal transduction pathways are organized into specialized membrane domains. In addition to their known role in organizing receptors and downstream effectors into functional signaling ecmplexes, such organized complexes function to integrate signaling activities from multiple pathways and to segregate simultaneous but distinct functions of a single pathway. We study this question in Drosophila because of the utility of this system for studying the functions of individual genes via mutagenesis, and for examing the functional interactions between different genes that work together in a particular cellular or developmental process.

Selected Papers

LaJeunesse DR, McCartney BM and Fehon RG. (2001). A systematic screen for dominant second-site modifiers of Merlin/NF2 phenotypes reveals an interaction with blistered/DSRF and scribbler, Genetics, vol. 158, pp. 667-679.
Ward, R.E., Schweizer, L., Lamb, R.S., and Fehon, R.G., (2001). The FERM domain of Drosophila coracle, a cytoplasmic component of the septate junction, provides functions essential for embryonic development and imaginal cell proliferation, Genetics, vol. 159, pp. 219-228.

Tepass U, Tanentzapf G, Ward R and Fehon RG. (2001). Epithelial cell polarity and cell junctions in Drosophila, Ann. Rev. Genet., vol. 35, pp. 747-784.

Bretscher A, Edwards K and Fehon RG. (2002). ERM proteins and Merlin: Integrators at the cell cortex, Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol., vol. 3, pp. 747-784

Speck O, Hughes SC, Noren NK, Kulikauskas RM and Fehon RG. (2003). Moesin functions antagonistically to the Rho pathway to maintain epithelial integrity., Nature, vol. 421, pp. 83-87.

Genova JL and Fehon RG. (2003). Neuroglian, Gliotactin, and the Na+/K+ ATPase are essential for septate junction function in Drosophila, J. Cell Biol., vol. 161, pp. 979-989

Formstecher E, Aresta S, Collura V, Hamburger A, Meil A, Trehin A, Reverdy C, Betin V, Maire S, Brun C, Jacq B, Arpin M, Bellaiche Y, Bellusci S, Benaroch P, Bornens M, Chanet R, Chavrier P, Delattre O, Doye V, Fehon R, Faye G, Galli T, Girault JA, Goud B, de Gunzburg J, Johannes L, Junier MP, Mirouse V, Mukherjee A, Papadopoulo D, Perez F, Plessis A, Rosse C, Saule S, Stoppa-Lyonnet D, Vincent A, White M, Legrain P, Wojcik J, Camonis J, Daviet L. (2005). Protein interaction mapping: a Drosophila case study. Genome Res. Mar;15(3):376-84. Epub 2005 Feb 14. (PubMed)

Li Q, Nance MR, Kulikauskas R, Nyberg K, Fehon R, Karplus PA, Bretscher A, and Tesmer J. (2006). Self-masking in an intact ERM-merlin protein: an active role for the central alpha-helical domain. J. Mol. Biol. In press. 

Hughes SC, and Fehon RG. (2006). Phosphorylation and activity of the tumor-suppressor Merlin and the ERM protein Moesin are coordinately regulated by the Slik kinase. J. Cell Biol. In press. 

Cho E, Feng Y, Rauskolb C, Maitra S, Fehon R, Irvine KD. (2006). Delineation of a Fat tumor suppressor pathway. Nat Genet. Sep 17; [Epub ahead of print]
 
Fehon R. (2006). Cell biology: polarity bites. Nature. Aug 3;442(7102):519-20.  

Maitra S, Kulikauskas RM, Gavilan H, Fehon RG. (2006). The tumor suppressors Merlin and expanded function cooperatively to modulate receptor endocytosis and signaling. Curr Biol. Apr 4;16(7):702-9.