Dr Fengwei Yu, Principal Investigator

Fengwei Yu graduated from East China University of Science and Technology in China in 1994 and got his graduate training in Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, CAS. In 1997, he joined Prof. William Chia’s lab as a PhD candidate at Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore. In 2000, he identified a novel gene, pins, which plays a critical role in asymmetric cell divisions in Drosophila. In 2003, he obtained his PhD degree and joined TLL as a young investigator to lead the Molecular Neurogenesis group.

You may wish to contact Dr Fengwei YU at:
Tel: (65) 6872 7000, 6872 7475 (DID) or 6872 7708 (lab) Email: fengwei@tll.org.sg

For information on PhD studies at TLL, click HERE

• Role of heterotrimeric G proteins and their regulators in Drosophila neural progenitor asymmetric divisions.
  

Research Projects

The Molecular Neurogenesis grop is interested in understanding molecular mechanisms which control neuronal development using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Neurons are generated from two types of neural stem cells (Neurobalsts and Sensory Organ Precursors) through repeated asymmetric cell divisions. Once generated, neuron undergoes differentiation to elaborate one or multiple dendrites and a single, extended axon.

Role of heterotrimeric G proteins and their regulators in Drosophila neural progenitor asymmetric division

Heterotrimeric G proteins are classically known to transmit extracellular signals to targets within the cell through seven transmembrane receptors called G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Upon ligand binding, GPCR acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) to stimulate release of GDP from the Ga subunit, which in turn is converted to the GTP bound form. G protein signaling is attenuated through the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP by the GTPase activity of Ga accelerated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs).

Drosophila neural progenitor asymmetric division involves a receptor-independent heterotrimeric G signaling. We and others have identified several critical regulators involved in asymmetric cell division. Pins and Loco, acting as multiple guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs) through their GoLoco motifs, are able to dissociate GDP-Gai from the inactive heterotrimeric complex and thus activate hetertotrimeric G protein signaling. A cytosolic GEF, RIC-8, can associate with the Pins/GDP-Gai complex and potentially mediate the exchange of GDP with GTP.  Loco, also acting as a GAP, accelerates the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP through its RGS domain. Furthermore, we are identifying binding partners of Loco and RIC-8 using the yeast two-hybrid approach.

Fig. 01
Gai and its regulators Pins/Loco are localized at the apical cortex (in red) while the cell fate determinants, Pros/Mira and Numb/Pon, are localized at the basal cortex of NB (in green).