Published on October 26, 2021 – Updated on October 26, 2021

We use the Drosophila model to study generic aspects of the biology of epithelia such as the control of their growth (proliferation, cell size, homeostasis) and their morphogenesis (cell and tissue shapes and polarities) in a developmental context or mimicking a pathological situation.

Example of mutant cells (RFP-) which harbor different defects depending on the mechanical environment. Left : the mutant cells flatten out (decrease in cell density). Right : these cells mimic tumor development (disorganization, hyperproliferation)

Example of mutant cells (RFP-) which harbor different defects depending on the mechanical environment. Left : the mutant cells flatten out (decrease in cell density). Right : these cells mimic tumor development (disorganization, hyperproliferation)

More specifically, our favorite study model is the follicular epithelium, this tissue allowing an optimal combination of Drosophila genetic tools and cell imaging. These approaches include cell imaging on living tissue, photomanipulation and super-resolution. Thus, these approaches allow us to study the behavior of mutant cells within the epithelium with, for example, the possibility of varying their genetic or physical miro-environment. Although our questioning is initially fundamental, our work makes it possible to weave parallels between the developmental biology of epithelia and tumor development, 80% of cancers having an epithelial origin. In fact, most of the molecular players that we are studying are genes with a strong involvement in oncology (tumor suppressors or oncogenes) and whose understanding of this involvement requires the study of their function in vivo.