Research Summary

Our interests center on the molecular mechanisms by which signal transduction pathways are organized into specialized membrane domains. In addition to their known role in organizing receptors and downstream effectors into functional signaling complexes, such organized complexes function to integrate signaling activities from multiple pathways and to segregate simultaneous but distinct functions of a single pathway. We study this question in Drosophila because of the utility of this system for studying the functions of individual genes via mutagenesis, and for examining the functional interactions between different genes that work together in a particular cellular or developmental process.

Selected Publications

Nilton, A., Oshima, K., Zare, F., Byri, S., Nannmark, U., Nyberg, K.G., Fehon, R.G., and Uv, A.E. Crooked, Coiled and Crimpled are three Ly6-like proteins required for proper localization of septate junction components. Development. 2010 137: 2427-37. (PubMed)

Bensenor LB, Barlan K, Rice SE, Fehon RG, Gelfand VI. Microtubule-mediated transport of the tumor-suppressor protein Merlin and its mutants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 107: 7311-6. (PubMed)

Neisch, A.L., Speck, O., Stronach, B., and Fehon, R.G. Rho1 regulates apoptosis via activation of the JNK signaling pathway at the plasma membrane. J. Cell Biol. 2010 189: 311-23. (PubMed)

Hughes, SC, Formstecher, E., and Fehon RG. Sip1, the Drosophila orthologue of EBP50/NHERF1, functions with the sterile 20 family kinase Slik to regulate moesin activity. J. Cell Sci. 2010 123: 1099-107. (PubMed)

Fehon, RG, McClatchey, AI, and Bretscher, A. Organizing the Cell Cortex: The role of ERM proteins. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 2010 11: 276-287. (PubMed)

McClatchey, A.I. and Fehon, R.G. Merlin and the ERM proteins - regulators of receptor distribution and signaling at the cell cortex. Trends Cell Biol. 2009 19: 198-206. (PubMed)

Neisch, A. and Fehon, R.G. FERMing up the plasma membrane. Dev. Cell. 2008 14: 154-6. (PubMed)

Hughes SC, Fehon RG. Understanding ERM proteins--the awesome power of genetics finally brought to bear. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2007 Oct 23;175(2):305-13. (PubMed)

Li Q, Nance MR, Kulikauskas R, Nyberg K, Fehon R, Karplus PA, Bretscher A, and Tesmer J. Self-masking in an intact ERM-merlin protein: an active role for the central alpha-helical domain. J Mol Biol. 2007 Feb;19(1):51-6. (PubMed)

Hughes SC, and Fehon RG. Phosphorylation and activity of the tumor-suppressor Merlin and the ERM protein Moesin are coordinately regulated by the Slik kinase. J. Cell Biol. 2006 Oct 23;175(2):305-13. (PubMed)

Maitra, S, Kulikauskas, R, Solari, H, and Fehon, R.G. Redundant roles for Merlin and Expanded in modulating signaling pathways that regulate proliferation. Curr. Biol. 2006 16: 702-709. (PubMed)

Genova JL, Fehon RG. Neuroglian, Gliotactin, and the Na+/K+ ATPase are essential for septatejunction function in Drosophila. J Cell Biol. 2003 Jun 9;161(5):979-89. Epub 2003 Jun 2. (PubMed)

Speck O, Hughes SC, Noren NK, Kulikauskas RM, Fehon RG. Moesin functions antagonistically to the Rho pathway to maintain epithelial integrity. Nature. 2003 Jan 2;421(6918):83-7. (PubMed)