Characterization of drosophila homologues of activated Cdc42 associated kinase (ack)

Cdc42 is a member of the Rho GTPase family of proteins, which act as molecular switches to turn signal transduction pathways on or off by alternating between active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound states. Cdc42 is involved in diverse biological processes such as actin cytoskeletal organization, microtubule dynamics, axonal guidance and epithelial wound repair. The ACK family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases function downstream of Cdc42. The intent of this study was to characterize Drosophila homologues of ACK, DACK and DPR2. A P element excision approach was used in an attempt to create mutations in the DACK and DPRZ genes. DACK mutants were successfully created, characterized at the molecular level, and a preliminary phenotypic characterization done. The results suggest that DACK is largely redundant in development, but may have some role in axonal guidance. DACK may have overlapping functions with DPR2, and knocking out both ACKs will likely reveal more roles.