Color vision is based on the differential color sensitivity of retinal photoreceptors, however the developmental programs that control photoreceptor cell differentiation and specify color sensitivity are poorly understood. In Drosophila there is growing evidence that the color sensitivity of the R8 cell within an individual ommatidium is regulated by an inductive signal from the adjacent R7 cel...

The polytopic membrane protein Rhomboid-1 promotes the cleavage of the membrane-anchored TGFalpha-like growth factor Spitz, allowing it to activate the Drosophila EGF receptor. Until now, the mechanism of this key signaling regulator has been obscure, but our analysis suggests that Rhomboid-1 is a novel intramembrane serine protease that directly cleaves Spitz. In accordance with the putative R...

Rhomboid peptidases are members of a family of regulated intramembrane peptidases that cleave the transmembrane segments of integral membrane proteins. Rhomboid peptidases have been shown to play a major role in developmental processes in Drosophila and in mitochondrial maintenance in yeast. Most recently, the function of rhomboid peptidases has been directly linked to apoptosis. We have solved...

Aim: To compare the effect of single rhomboid and double rhomboid frontalis suspension using 2 mm silicon band on upper lid contour in ptosis surgery. Methods: This randomized control study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Nishtar Hospital, Multan from March 2011 to March 2014. A total of 40 patients with unilateral ptosis were included in the study. Patients were divided into ...

Egfr ligand processing in Drosophila involves trafficking of the ligand precursor by the chaperone Star from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to a secretory compartment, where the precursor is cleaved by the intramembrane protease Rhomboid. Some of the Drosophila Rhomboids also reside in the ER, where they attenuate signaling by premature cleavage of Star. The genome of the flour beetle Tribolium...

Background: Pressure ulcers are defined as lesions of ischemic etiology in the skin or soft tissue. These lesions are secondary to increased external pressure and usually occur over bony prominences. Classification of various stages of pressure ulcers is important for the development of therapeutic strategies. The fundamental surgical treatments are debridement and excision of underlying bursa ...

Paralysis of the suprascapular nerve, in partial injuries of the brachial plexus, most often warrants a nerve transfer. Transfer of the spinal accessory nerve to the suprascapular nerve is performed most often. We propose to directly transfer the nerve of the rhomboid muscles (branch of the dorsal scapular nerve) to the suprascapular nerve in the supraspinatus fossa. This anatomical study inclu...

Boundaries establish and maintain separate populations of cells critical for organ formation. We show that Notch signaling establishes the boundary between two types of post-mitotic epithelial cells, the Rhomboid- and the Broad-positive cells. These cells will undergo morphogenetic movements to generate the two sides of a simple organ, the dorsal appendage tube of the Drosophila egg chamber. Th...

In addition to being energy generators, mitochondria control many cellular processes including apoptosis. They are dynamic organelles, and the machinery of membrane fusion and fission is emerging as a key regulator of mitochondrial biology. We have recently identified a novel and conserved mitochondrial rhomboid intramembrane protease that controls membrane fusion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by...