Role of AMPK during early embryonic development of Drosophila

Abstract

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that regulates cellular metabolism. In Drosophila melanogaster, mono-allelic expression of AMPK-α, -β, and -γ yields a single heterotrimeric energy sensor. Functionally critical amino acids of AMPK subunits and upstream kinases are conserved across humans and Drosophila. All this collectively makes Drosophila an ideal model system where the function of AMPK has been fairly less explored in embryonic stages. During syncytial blastoderm formation and cellularization, the embryo undergoes intricate changes including furrow extension, maintenance of the actomyosin network to facilitate contractile ring constriction, and establishment of polarity markers such as Dlg to ensure normal cellular growth. This study aims to elucidate the role of AMPK during both the syncytial blastoderm stage and the subsequent cellularization stage of Drosophila embryonic development. Our focus lies on investigating the dynamic localization patterns of AMPK and how they differ from those observed in mammalian systems. Furthermore, we seek to understand how AMPK contributes to the regulation of membrane organization during these critical developmental stages.