Laura Buttitta

Mi-2 and E93 coordinate robust cell cycle exit with terminal differentiation through enhancer decommissioning

The paper shows Mi-2 and E93 coordinate cell cycle exit with terminal differentiation by decommissioning enhancers at key genes in Drosophila.

Brain-wide reductions in cell size and volume emerge early during adulthood in Drosophila melanogaster.

This study identifies early brain-wide reductions in cell size and volume during adulthood in Drosophila melanogaster, linked to aging and modifiable by Myc overexpression.

Evidence for Transcriptomic Conservation Between the Main Cells of the Drosophila Prostate-Like Accessory Gland and Basal Cells of the Mammalian Prostate.

The paper compares transcriptomic profiles of Drosophila accessory gland cells and mammalian prostate basal cells, finding transcriptomic similarity despite structural and developmental differences.

A window of cell cycle plasticity enables imperfect regeneration of an adult postmitotic organ in Drosophila

This study shows that the Drosophila ejaculatory duct can regenerate after cell loss through cell cycle plasticity and hypertrophy, despite being post-mitotic.

Oncogenic signaling in the adult Drosophila prostate-like accessory gland leads to activation of a conserved pro-tumorigenic program, in the absence of proliferation.

This study shows that oncogenic signaling in adult Drosophila accessory glands activates a pro-tumorigenic program without proliferation, leading to tissue hyperplasia and aneuploidy through endoreduplication.

Post-eclosion growth in the Drosophila Ejaculatory Duct is driven by Juvenile Hormone signaling and is essential for male fertility

This study shows that post-eclosion growth of the Drosophila Ejaculatory Duct depends on Juvenile Hormone signaling and endocycling, which is essential for fertility.

Cell cycle re-entry in the aging Drosophila brain.

This study examines how lifespan modifiers affect polyploidy accumulation in the aging Drosophila brain, finding that lifespan extension delays but does not prevent polyploid cell accumulation.

Transcriptional repression and enhancer decommissioning silence cell cycle genes in postmitotic tissues.

This study shows enhancer decommissioning silences cell cycle genes in long-lived postmitotic Drosophila tissues and conserved principles in mammalian retina.

Cell cycle variants during Drosophila accessory gland development

The paper identifies unique cell cycle variants in Drosophila accessory gland development, including post-eclosion endocycles and nuclear reprogramming.

A tissue dissociation method optimized for ATAC-seq and CUT&RUN in Drosophila pupal tissues.

The paper introduces a tissue dissociation method optimized for ATAC-seq and CUT&RUN in Drosophila pupal tissues to study chromatin accessibility and histone modifications during metamorphosis.

Mis-regulation of the Nucleoporins 98 and 96 lead to defects in protein synthesis that promote hallmarks of tumorigenesis.

This study shows that reducing Nup98-96 function in Drosophila leads to defects in protein synthesis and JNK signaling, promoting tumorigenesis when apoptosis is inhibited.

Polyploidy in the adult Drosophila brain

This study shows that polyploid cells accumulate in the ageing Drosophila brain and are more resistant to DNA damage-induced cell death than diploid cells.

The coordination of terminal differentiation and cell cycle exit is mediated through the regulation of chromatin accessibility

The paper shows that chromatin accessibility changes at cell cycle genes enforce cell cycle exit during terminal differentiation in Drosophila wing cells, independent of DREAM complex function.

Chromatin organization changes during the establishment and maintenance of the postmitotic state

The paper examines how chromatin organization changes during cell cycle exit in Drosophila wing cells, finding that heterochromatin clustering is a consequence of cell cycle exit, not differentiation.