PRE2023-MECANISMOS QUE REGULAN LA MORFOGENESIS Y HOMEOSTASIS DE EPITELIOS-PID2022-143001NB-I00

A deep knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the generation and maintenance of functional epithelia is of utmost importance to understand tissue morphogenesis, homeostasis and pathologies associated with the disruption of epithelia structure, such as organ malformation or cancer. This project proposes to advance in our understanding of the diverse array of cell shape changes underlying epithelial morphogenesis and maintenance. To do this, we use Drosophila melanogaster, as model system. In addition, it also proposes to test whether some of the conclusions derived from experiments using the fly can be applied to humans by using human organoids. The general objectives of the proposal are 1) to define the contribution of actomyosin contractility and cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions to the cell shape changes underlying epithelia morphogenesis and homeostasis, and 2) to define molecular and cellular mechanisms by which Ras-mediated oncogenesis disrupts epithelial homeostasis. This project proposes to study a a longstanding challenge in the biology of living animals, epithelial homeostasis and repair, which has a huge biomedical relevance, being crucial for both basic and translational science.