Dynamics of Basement Membrane Repair
The basement membrane (BM) is an ancient, highly conserved structure that lies under the basal surface of epithelial cells and wraps around organs such as muscles and nerves. It provides mechanical stiffness and modulates cellular communication by interacting with signaling molecules. Although much is known about BM structure, its dynamic aspects – the ability to expand, shrink, and be repaired – are poorly understood. This led Vanderbilt Basic Sciences investigator Andrea Page-McCaw and her laboratory to explore BM repair in larvae of Drosophila melanogaster.