2007年10月24日，北京生命科学研究所张宏实验室在Genetics杂志上发表了题为“The Flightless I Homolog, fli-1, Regulates Anterior/Posterior Polarity, Asymmetric Cell Division and Ovulation During Caenorhabditis elegans Development” 的文章。该文章报道了Fli同源基因在线虫发育过程中对肌动蛋白依赖的生理过程的调控作用。
Flightless I (Fli I) 是gelsolin家族中进化上保守的蛋白，它在体外具有对肌动蛋白结合和切割的活性，但是Fli I在动物发育过程中的生理学功能还很不清楚。
由我所张宏研究员所领导的课题组运用遗传学、分子生物学、免疫组织化学等实验方法克隆了线虫fli-1基因并研究了它在肌动蛋白介导的收缩性运动过程中的作用。他们首先克隆了线虫fli-1的同源基因，并发现它参与了对受精卵不对称分裂和前后极性建立的调控。同时他们还发现fli-1基因调控了体细胞的胞浆移动和生殖细胞的发育；并且在可以和磷酸肌糖途径相互作用调节线虫的排卵过程。他们通过对fli-1报告基因的观察发现FLI-1主要分布在富含肌动蛋白的区域，而且在fli-1突变体的许多组织中肌动蛋白细胞骨架是异常的。最后他们还发现果蝇Fli I可以替代线虫fli-1的功能。
这一研究对于了解哺乳动物中与Fli I功能缺失相关疾病的病理有较大的提示作用，同时也为研究gelsolin家族在动物发育尤其是早期胚胎发育和肌肉发生中的生理学功能提供了重要的线索。
博士生邓寒松为本文第一作者，论文的其他作者还有本所的夏丹和方彬。张宏博士为本文通讯作者。此项研究由科技部863计划，北京市科委资助，在北京生命科学研究所完成。（北京生命科学研究所）
原始出处:
Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on August 24, 2007.
Genetics, Vol. 177, 847-860, October 2007, Copyright © 2007
doi:10.1534/genetics.107.078964
The Flightless I Homolog, fli-1, Regulates Anterior/Posterior Polarity, Asymmetric Cell Division and Ovulation During Caenorhabditis elegans Development
Hansong Deng*,, Dan Xia*,, Bin Fang and Hong Zhang,1
* Graduate Program, Peking union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, People's Republic of China and National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
1 Corresponding author: National Institute of Biological Sciences, 7 Science Park Rd., Zhongguancun Life Science Park, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China.
E-mail: zhanghong@nibs.ac.cn
Flightless I (Fli I) is an evolutionarily conserved member of the gelsolin family, containing actin-binding and severing activity in vitro. The physiological function of Fli I during animal development remains largely undefined. In this study, we reveal a key role of the Caenorhabditis elegans Fli I homolog, fli-1, in specifying asymmetric cell division and in establishing anterior–posterior polarity in the zygote. The fli-1 gene also regulates the cytokinesis of somatic cells and the development of germline and interacts with the phosphoinositol-signaling pathway in the regulation of ovulation. The fli-1 reporter gene shows that the localization of FLI-1 coincides with actin-rich regions and that the actin cytoskeleton is impaired in many tissues in the fli-1 mutants. Furthermore, the function of fli-1 in C. elegans can be functionally substituted by the Drosophila Fli I. Our studies demonstrate that fli-1 plays an important role in regulating the actin-dependent events during C. elegans development.
