DROSOPHILA TUMOR SUPPRESSOR MERLIN IS ESSENTIAL FOR MORPHOGENESIS OF MITOCHONDRIA DURING SPERM FORMATION
E. U. Bolobolova, O. S. Yudina, N. V. Dorogova 1
Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk;
1 e-mail: natdorogova@rambler.ru
Drosophila Merlin, an ortholog of the merlin protein encoded by the human Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) gene,
is important for the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in the eye and wing. Also, it has been
shown to be involved in male fertility in flies. In the present study, we formation using the comparative light and
electron microscopic research of merlin mutants (mer3 and mer4) and ectopic expression of the Mer+ construct.
Our work defines specific functions for Merlin in the mitochondria association and aggregation during the nebenkern
formation and unfurling mitochondrial derivates during spermatid elongation. Possible role of Merlin
as an adaptor protein that can link mitochondria with cytoskeleton is discussed.
Key words: spermatogenesis, mitochondria, merlin mutants, Drosophila melanogaster, tumor suppressor
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