Stephen Crews, PhD

• Crews Lab Website
• Publication List

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Neurogenomics and Developmental Neuroscience

One of the key issues in developmental neurobiology is how diverse neurons and glia are generated from precursor cells. We utilize a simple experimental system, the Drosophila CNS midline cells, to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern development of the motoneurons, interneurons, and glia that comprise the midline cells. Primary focus is concerned with how transcriptional regulatory proteins work combinatorially to regulate batteries of genes that generate distinct CNS cell types.

Cell Migration and Fusion

The insect trachea is an intricately-branched tubular structure that delivers oxygen to the organism. Study of the development of the Drosophila trachea is an excellent model system for understanding the formation of additional complex tubular structures, such as the mammalian vascular, respiratory, and renal systems. The Drosophila dysfusion gene encodes a bHLH-PAS protein that is expressed in specialized cells at the tip of tracheal branches. Functional studies indicate that dysfusion is required for the proper fusion of most tracheal branches, and current work is involved with understanding how dysfusion controls cell migration and fusion events.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

Jiang L, Rogers SL, Crews ST. The Drosophila Dead end Arf-like3 GTPase controls vesicle trafficking during tracheal fusion cell morphogenesis. Dev Biol. 2007 Nov 15;311(2):487-99.

Jiang L, Crews ST. Transcriptional specificity of Drosophila dysfusion and the control of tracheal fusion cell gene expression. J Biol Chem. 2007 Sep 28;282(39):28659-68.

Crews ST, Brenman JE. Spineless provides a little backbone for dendritic morphogenesis. Genes Dev. 2006 Oct 15;20(20):2773-8. Review.

Jiang L, Crews ST. Dysfusion transcriptional control of Drosophila tracheal migration, adhesion, and fusion. Mol Cell Biol. 2006 Sep;26(17):6547-56.

Wheeler SR, Kearney JB, Guardiola AR, Crews ST. Single-cell mapping of neural and glial gene expression in the developing Drosophila CNS midline cells. Dev Biol. 2006 Jun 15;294(2):509-24.