La constriction apicale des cellules du mésoderme et l'intercalation des cellules de l'ectoderme sont contrôlées par des réseaux contractiles d'acto-myosine dans l'embryon de Drosophile. Le niveau d'activation et la polarisation du cytosquelette d'acto-myosine détermine la nature des déformations cellulaires observées. Nous montrons que le GPCR Smog et les protéines G (Gα,Gβγ) en aval, activent la signalisation Rho1 et donc la Myosine-II dans les deux tissus. Dans l'ectoderme, Gα12/13 active Rho1 à la membrane apicale (aussi appelé compartiment médio-apical) tandis que les sous-unités Gβ13F-Gγ1 activent Rho1 en médio-apical et aux jonctions cellulaires. Les mécanismes contrôlant l’activation polarisée de Rho1 dans ce tissu demeurent incompris. Nous montrons ici que deux RhoGEFs, RhoGEF2 et une nouvelle RhoGEF Wireless/p114RhoGEF, activent Rho1 sous le contrôle des protéines G dans l’ectoderme. RhoGEF2 stimule Rho1 en médio-apical sous la dépendance de Gα12/13 alors que Wireless/p114RhoGEF contrôle l’activité de Rho1 aux jonctions avec Gβ13F-Gγ1. RhoGEF2 est présente aux jonctions et en médio-apical tandis que Wireless/p114RhoGEF est uniquement jonctionnelle où elle est recrutée par Gβ13F-Gγ1. Pour finir, Wireless/p114RhoGEF est absente des jonctions dans les cellules du mésoderme. En résumé, des GPCRs contrôlent l’activité spatio-temporelle de Rho1 au moyen de deux modules régulatoires dans l’ectoderme. Les protéines G transduisent le signal en recrutant et en activant deux RhoGEFs complémentaires en médio-apical et aux jonctions. Une variation dans la nature des GPCRs, protéines G ou des RhoGEFs détermine le contrôle tissu-spécifique de Rho1 au cours de la morphogenèse. / Cell apical constriction in the mesoderm and cell intercalation in the ectoderm are controlled by contractile actomyosin networks in the developing Drosophila embryo. The extent of both actomyosin activation and polarization determines the nature of these cell deformations. We find that the GPCR Smog and the downstream G proteins (Gα,Gβγ) activate Rho1 signaling and thereby myosin-II in both tissues. In the ectoderm, Gα12/13 activates Rho1 at the apical membrane (also called medial-apical compartment) while Gβ13F-Gγ1 subunits promote Rho1 activity at the apical membrane and at cell junctions. How such a polarized activation of Rho1 is achieved remains unclear. Here, we show that two RhoGEFs, RhoGEF2 and a previously uncharacterized RhoGEF Wireless/p114RhoGEF, control Rho1 activity downstream of G proteins in the ectoderm. RhoGEF2 activates medial-apical Rho1 under control of Gα12/13 and Wireless/p114RhoGEF is required to mediate Gβ13F-Gγ1-dependent activation of Rho1 at junctions. RhoGEF2 is present both at junctions and at the apical membrane. In contrast, Wireless/p114RhoGEF only localizes at junctions together with Gβ13F-Gγ1 which recruit the GEF. Finally, we show that Wireless/p114RhoGEF is absent from junctions in the mesoderm. Collectively, GPCRs shape Rho1 activity through distinct biochemical modules in the ectoderm. Heterotrimeric G proteins transduce the signal by recruiting and activating two complementary RhoGEFs apically and at junctions. Variation in type of GPCRs, G proteins or RhoGEFs underlie the tissue-specific control of Rho1 signaling during morphogenesis.

The Stubble-stubbloid locus encodes a transmembrane serine protease (Stubble) necessary for the proper formation of sensory bristles, and the morphogenesis of leg and wing epithelia. Genetic and cell biological analysis indicate a role for Stubble in actin cytoskeletal dynamics and cell shape changes in developing epithelia and bristles. Previously reported genetic interactions between Stubble and the Rho1 signaling pathway suggest Stubble influences actin cytoskeleton dynamics in developing imaginal discs through interactions with the Rho1 pathway. This work will discuss a genetic screen conducted to further investigate the role of Stubble in bristle and imaginal disc morphogenesis. From 50,000 EMS-mutagenized chromosomes 12 enhancers of the recessive sbd201 allele were identified, including 6 new sbd alleles. Consistent with the current understanding of genetic interactions regulating imaginal disc morphogenesis, mutations in two Rho1 pathway genes, zipper (2 alleles) and Rho1, were isolated. Additionally, three new mutant enhancers of sbd201 were isolated, one of which has been identified as an allele of the cadherin gene Dacshous, another as an allele of the muscle myosin heavy chain gene, and the last as an allele of Notopleural (Np). Dominant and recessive mutations in the Stubble locus interact with the Np allele identified in this screen, in regards to both limb and bristle development, respectively. Mutations in the Np locus were first identified in 1936, but this locus remains poorly characterized and has never been cloned The genetic and phenotypic characterization of Np will be discussed along with experiments that have mapped the position of the Np locus to a 50kb region at the border of the 44F12, 45A1 cytological regions.

Morphological transitions in Wangiella dermatitidis, a causative agent of human phaeohyphomycosis, influence virulence processes in this polymorphic fungus. My project first involved the cloning and characterizion of the β(1→3) glucan synthase gene WdFKS1, which encodes the enzyme's catalytic subunit, followed by cloning and characterizing the WdRHO1 gene, which encodes its regulatory subunit. To better understand the Rho-type GTPase-mediated regulation of cell polarity and its role in fungal morphological transitions, a homologue of WdRAC1 from a W. dermatitidis was subsequently identified by degenerate PCR and gene walking. Gene deletions of WdFKS1 and WdRHO1 in haploid W. dermatitidis were lethal, whereas the deletion of WdRAC1 was not. RNA interference on WdFKS1 mRNA expression resulted in incomplete septa and damaged cell wall integrity, as well as slow growth rate in W. dermatitidis. Overexpression studies, after site-specific integrations of WdRHO1 and WdRAC1 alleles under control of the glaA promoter into the nonessential WdPKS1 locus, showed the different alleles had different effects on the cell morphological development. For example, whereas overexpression of the wdrho1⁺ allele did not affect the growth rate of W. dermatitidis, the overexpression of wdrho1[superscript G14V], a constitutively active mutation, slowed growth and repressed true filamentous hyphal growth by promoting pseudohyphal growth. While the deletion of WdRAC1 did not affect growth, its loss retarded polarized hyphal growth in a hyphal-inducing minimal medium. Moreover, three new phenotypes of a previously derived WdCDC42 deletion mutant were discovered during this study: in the first, the wdcdc42[Delta] mutant displayed cell lysis when incubated in YPMaltose medium at 37°C; in the second, a dark budding neck abnormality was found after Calcoflour staining; and in the third, the wdcdc42[Delta] mutant displayed no branching during true hyphal growth. Interestingly, the overexpression of wdrac1[superscript G16V] complemented the second and the third phenotypes caused by the WdCDC42 deletion. In addition, the wdcdc42[Delta]/wdrac1[superscript G16V] double mutant unexpectedly displayed an interrupted carotenogenesis pathway. These results support that in W. dermatitidis, Rho-type GTPases play essential roles in growth rate determination and cellular morphogenesis, especially while producing polarized hyphal growth during its many morphological transitions. / text

Hormonally-triggered regulatory hierarchies play a major role in organismal development. Disruption of a single member of such a hierarchy can lead to irregular development and disease. Therefore, knowledge of the members involved and the mechanisms controlling signaling through such pathways is of great importance in understanding how resulting developmental defects occur. Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) make up a family of cell surface-associated proteases that play important roles in the development and homeostasis of a number of mammalian tissues. Aberrant expression of TTSPs is linked to several human disorders, including deafness, heart and respiratory disease and cancer. However, the mechanism by which these proteases function remains unknown. The ecdysone-responsive Stubble TTSP of Drosophila serves as a good model in which to study the functional mechanism of the TTSP family. The Stubble protease interacts with the intracellular Rho1 (RhoA) pathway to control epithelial development in imaginal discs. The Rho1 signaling pathway regulates cellular behavior via control of gene expression and actin cytoskeletal dynamics. However, the mechanism by which the Stubble protease interacts with the Rho1 pathway to control epithelial development, in particular leg imaginal disc morphogenesis, has yet to be elucidated. The Stubble protein consists of several conserved domains. One approach to a better understanding of the mechanism of action of Stubble in regulating Rho1 signaling is to define which of the conserved domains within the protease are required for proper function. Sequence analysis of twelve recessive Stubble mutant alleles has revealed that the proteolytic domain is essential for proper function. Alleles containing mutations which disrupt regions of the protease domain necessary for protease activation or substrate binding, as well as those with deletions or truncations that remove some portion of the proteolytic domain, result in defective epithelial development in vivo. In contrast, mutations in other regions of the Stubble protein, including the disulfide-knotted and cytoplasmic domains, were not observed. Another important step for defining the connection between Stubble and Rho1 signaling is to identify a Stubble target that acts as an upstream regulator of the Rho1 pathway. We performed a genetic screen in which 97 of the 147 Drosophila non-olfactory and non-gustatory G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a family of proteins that has been shown to be protease-activated and to activate Rho1 signaling, were tested for interactions with a mutant allele of Stubble. We found 4 genomic regions uncovering a total of 7 GPCRs that interact genetically when in heterozygous combination with a Stubble mutant. Further analysis of these genes is necessary to determine if any of these GPCRs is targeted by Stubble during activation of the Rho1 pathway.

Animal morphogenesis is largely driven by concerted changes in the shape of individual cells. However, how cell shape changes are regulated and coordinated in developing animals is not well understood. Here we show that the two perpendicular signaling gradients of the morphogens Dpp, a TGF-β homologue, and Wingless, a Wnt family member, maintain tissue homoeostasis and control cell shape changes in the developing Drosophila wing. Clones of cells lacking Dpp or Wingless signaling invaginate apically, shorten apico-basally and subsequently extrude basally without disruption of the epithelium. During early larval development, the onset of Dpp and Wingless signaling correlates with the cuboidal-to-columnar cell shape transition of wing disc cells. Gradients in apical-basal length of columnar cells correlate during late larval development with the gradients of Dpp and Wingless signaling activities. Cells receiving high levels of Dpp and Wingless signaling are most elongated and apically constricted. Low levels of Dpp and Wingless signaling correlate with a shorter and apically wider cell morphology. Dpp and Wingless signaling is cell-autonomously required for maintaining the elongated columnar cell shape of late larval wing disc cells. Overactivation of these pathways results in precocious cell elongation during early larval development. These morphogenetic responses to Dpp and Wingless require the transcription factor complexes Mad and Tcf/β-catenin, respectively, indicating that they are mediated by changes in gene expression. The morphogenetic function of Wingless is in part mediated by one of its target genes, the transcription factor Vestigial. Wingless signaling promotes an enrichment of E-cadherin at the adherens junctions, and we show that E-cadherin is required to maintain apical-basal cell length. Dpp signaling controls the subcellular distribution of the activities of the small GTPase Rho1 and the regulatory light chain of non-muscle myosin II (MRLC). Alteration of Rho1 or MRLC activity has a profound effect on apical-basal cell length. Finally, we demonstrate that a decrease in Rho1 or MRLC activity rescues the shortening of cells with compromised Dpp signaling. Our results identify cell-autonomous roles for Dpp and Wingless signaling in promoting and maintaining the elongated columnar shape of wing disc cells. Furthermore, they suggest that Dpp and Wingless signaling control cell shape by regulating the actin-MyosinII/E-cadherin network. / Morphogenese in Tieren wird in hohem Maße von konzertierten Zellformveränderungen einzelner Zellen bewirkt. Es ist jedoch noch nicht hinreichend verstanden, wie Zellformveränderungen in sich entwickelnden Tieren reguliert und koordiniert werden. Hier zeigen wir, dass die zwei zueinander senkrecht stehenden Signalgradienten der Morphogene Dpp, eines TGF-β Homologs, und Wingless, eines Mitglieds der Wnt Familie, im sich entwickelnden Drosophila-Flügel Gewebe-Homöostase aufrechterhalten und Zellformveränderungen kontrollieren. Klone von Zellen, denen Dpp oder Wingless Signalaktivität fehlt, invaginieren von ihrer apikalen Seite her, verkürzen sich in apiko-basaler Richtung und extruieren im Folgenden auf der basalen Seite des Epithels, ohne es zu zerstören. Während der frühen Larvalentwicklung korreliert das Anschalten der Dpp und Wingless Signale mit der Zellformveränderung der Flügelscheibenzellen von kuboidal zu kolumnar. Gradienten in der apiko-basalen Länge von kolumnaren Zellen korrelieren während der späten Larvalentwicklung mit den Gradienten der Dpp und Wingless Signalaktivitäten. Zellen, die hohe Werte an Dpp und Wingless Signalen empfangen, sind am meisten elongiert und apikal konstringiert. Niedrige Werte von Dpp und Wingless Signalen korrelieren mit kürzerer und apikal weiterer Zellmorphologie. Dpp und Wingless Signale werden zellautonom gebraucht für die Aufrechterhaltung der elongierten Zellform von späten larvalen Flügelscheibenzellen. Die Überaktivierung dieser Signalwege führt zu vorzeitiger Zellverlängerung während der frühen Larvalentwicklung. Diese morphogenetischen Antworten auf Dpp und Wingless benötigen die Transkriptionsfaktor-Komplexe Mad beziehungsweise Tcf/β-catenin, was darauf hindeutet, dass sie durch Änderungen in der Genexpression vermittelt werden. Die morphogenetische Funktion von Wingless wird teilweise durch eines seiner Zielgene, Vestigial, vermittelt. Wingless Signale fördern die Anreicherung von E-cadherin an den Adherensverbindungen. Wir zeigen hier, dass E-cadherin gebraucht wird, um apiko-basale Zelllänge aufrechtzuerhalten. Dpp Signale kontrollieren die subzelluläre Verteilung der Aktivitäten der kleinen GTPase Rho1 und der regulatorischen leichten Kette von nicht-muskulärem Myosin II (MRLC). Eine Änderung in der Rho1 oder MRLC Aktivität hat weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die apiko-basale Zelllänge. Schließlich zeigen wir noch, dass eine Verringerung der Rho1 oder MRLC Aktivitäten die Zellverkürzung von Dpp-Signal kompromittierten Zellen rettet. Unsere Resultate identifizieren zellautonome Rollen für Dpp und Wingless Signale in der Förderung und Aufrechterhaltung der elongierten kolumnaren Zellform von Flügelimaginalscheibenzellen. Darüber hinaus suggerieren sie, dass Dpp und Wingless Signale die Zellform durch die Regulierung des Aktin-MyosinII/E-cadherin-Netzwerks kontrollieren.

Animal morphogenesis is largely driven by concerted changes in the shape of individual cells. However, how cell shape changes are regulated and coordinated in developing animals is not well understood. Here we show that the two perpendicular signaling gradients of the morphogens Dpp, a TGF-β homologue, and Wingless, a Wnt family member, maintain tissue homoeostasis and control cell shape changes in the developing Drosophila wing. Clones of cells lacking Dpp or Wingless signaling invaginate apically, shorten apico-basally and subsequently extrude basally without disruption of the epithelium. During early larval development, the onset of Dpp and Wingless signaling correlates with the cuboidal-to-columnar cell shape transition of wing disc cells. Gradients in apical-basal length of columnar cells correlate during late larval development with the gradients of Dpp and Wingless signaling activities. Cells receiving high levels of Dpp and Wingless signaling are most elongated and apically constricted. Low levels of Dpp and Wingless signaling correlate with a shorter and apically wider cell morphology. Dpp and Wingless signaling is cell-autonomously required for maintaining the elongated columnar cell shape of late larval wing disc cells. Overactivation of these pathways results in precocious cell elongation during early larval development. These morphogenetic responses to Dpp and Wingless require the transcription factor complexes Mad and Tcf/β-catenin, respectively, indicating that they are mediated by changes in gene expression. The morphogenetic function of Wingless is in part mediated by one of its target genes, the transcription factor Vestigial. Wingless signaling promotes an enrichment of E-cadherin at the adherens junctions, and we show that E-cadherin is required to maintain apical-basal cell length. Dpp signaling controls the subcellular distribution of the activities of the small GTPase Rho1 and the regulatory light chain of non-muscle myosin II (MRLC). Alteration of Rho1 or MRLC activity has a profound effect on apical-basal cell length. Finally, we demonstrate that a decrease in Rho1 or MRLC activity rescues the shortening of cells with compromised Dpp signaling. Our results identify cell-autonomous roles for Dpp and Wingless signaling in promoting and maintaining the elongated columnar shape of wing disc cells. Furthermore, they suggest that Dpp and Wingless signaling control cell shape by regulating the actin-MyosinII/E-cadherin network. / Morphogenese in Tieren wird in hohem Maße von konzertierten Zellformveränderungen einzelner Zellen bewirkt. Es ist jedoch noch nicht hinreichend verstanden, wie Zellformveränderungen in sich entwickelnden Tieren reguliert und koordiniert werden. Hier zeigen wir, dass die zwei zueinander senkrecht stehenden Signalgradienten der Morphogene Dpp, eines TGF-β Homologs, und Wingless, eines Mitglieds der Wnt Familie, im sich entwickelnden Drosophila-Flügel Gewebe-Homöostase aufrechterhalten und Zellformveränderungen kontrollieren. Klone von Zellen, denen Dpp oder Wingless Signalaktivität fehlt, invaginieren von ihrer apikalen Seite her, verkürzen sich in apiko-basaler Richtung und extruieren im Folgenden auf der basalen Seite des Epithels, ohne es zu zerstören. Während der frühen Larvalentwicklung korreliert das Anschalten der Dpp und Wingless Signale mit der Zellformveränderung der Flügelscheibenzellen von kuboidal zu kolumnar. Gradienten in der apiko-basalen Länge von kolumnaren Zellen korrelieren während der späten Larvalentwicklung mit den Gradienten der Dpp und Wingless Signalaktivitäten. Zellen, die hohe Werte an Dpp und Wingless Signalen empfangen, sind am meisten elongiert und apikal konstringiert. Niedrige Werte von Dpp und Wingless Signalen korrelieren mit kürzerer und apikal weiterer Zellmorphologie. Dpp und Wingless Signale werden zellautonom gebraucht für die Aufrechterhaltung der elongierten Zellform von späten larvalen Flügelscheibenzellen. Die Überaktivierung dieser Signalwege führt zu vorzeitiger Zellverlängerung während der frühen Larvalentwicklung. Diese morphogenetischen Antworten auf Dpp und Wingless benötigen die Transkriptionsfaktor-Komplexe Mad beziehungsweise Tcf/β-catenin, was darauf hindeutet, dass sie durch Änderungen in der Genexpression vermittelt werden. Die morphogenetische Funktion von Wingless wird teilweise durch eines seiner Zielgene, Vestigial, vermittelt. Wingless Signale fördern die Anreicherung von E-cadherin an den Adherensverbindungen. Wir zeigen hier, dass E-cadherin gebraucht wird, um apiko-basale Zelllänge aufrechtzuerhalten. Dpp Signale kontrollieren die subzelluläre Verteilung der Aktivitäten der kleinen GTPase Rho1 und der regulatorischen leichten Kette von nicht-muskulärem Myosin II (MRLC). Eine Änderung in der Rho1 oder MRLC Aktivität hat weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die apiko-basale Zelllänge. Schließlich zeigen wir noch, dass eine Verringerung der Rho1 oder MRLC Aktivitäten die Zellverkürzung von Dpp-Signal kompromittierten Zellen rettet. Unsere Resultate identifizieren zellautonome Rollen für Dpp und Wingless Signale in der Förderung und Aufrechterhaltung der elongierten kolumnaren Zellform von Flügelimaginalscheibenzellen. Darüber hinaus suggerieren sie, dass Dpp und Wingless Signale die Zellform durch die Regulierung des Aktin-MyosinII/E-cadherin-Netzwerks kontrollieren.

La cytokinèse est un processus dont le but est une séparation de deux cellules soeurs en deux entités suite à une mitose. La cytokinèse nécessite la formation d’un anneau contractile (AC) qui va conduire un sillon de clivage vers une ingression à l’équateur de la cellule. L’une des étapes critiques de ce processus est la transition d’un AC dynamique vers une structure stable surnommée l’anneau du midbody (AM), organelle qui va guider la cellule vers l’abscision. La compréhension des mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans cette transition nous permettrait de mieux comprendre les complexes protéiques impliqués autant au niveau de l’initiation qu’à la terminaison de la cytokinèse. Des défauts ayant lieu lors de cette transition mènent à la formation de cellules binucléées tétraploïdes qui sont observées dans plusieurs pathologies comme le cancer. Afin d’approfondir nos connaissances à ce sujet j’ai utilisé un modèle d’imagerie optique en temps réel dans un modèle cellulaire de Drosophila melanogaster : les cellules S2 de Schneider. Ces études ont mis l’emphase sur un nouveau mécanisme de maturation de la transition AC/AM. Nous avons pu démontrer que la kinase Citron, Sticky, et la septine, Peanut, agissent de manière opposée sur la protéine Anillin pour retenir ou éliminer, respectivement, la membrane plasmique lors de la transition AC/AM. En effet, la diminution d’expression de Sticky par ARNi engendre une perte de contrôle de rétention membranaire de l’AM. À l’inverse, la diminution d’expression de Peanut inhibe la maturation par excrétion membranaire de l’AM. La diminution d’expression simultanée de Sticky et de Peanut conduit l’AC vers des mouvements oscillatoires typiques d’une instabilité de l’AC suite à la perte de fonction de l’Anillin. Sticky est une protéine corticale lors de la cytokinèse dont le rôle et les partenaires d’interaction restent controversés. Pour approfondie nos connaissance de ce sujet, nous avons effectué une étude structurelle et fonctionnelle de Sticky. Cette étude démontre que Sticky possède deux mécanismes de localisation corticale. Le premier dépend de l’Anillin et le deuxième dépend de la petite GTPase Rho1, le régulateur maître de la cytokinèse. Sticky est capable de se localiser à l’AC en présence de l’un ou l’autre de ces deux mécanismes, mais chacun semble être essentiel pour la réussite de la cytokinèse. Le domaine minimal d’interaction entre la Sticky et l’Anillin a été identifié. Une version d’Anillin qui manque le site de liaison à la Sticky est incapable de supporter l’achèvement de la cytokinèse, et les cellules échouent la cytokinèse d’une manière semblable aux cellules dont l’expression de Sticky est diminuée. Similairement, les cellules exprimant une protéine Sticky mutée au site d’interaction avec Rho1-GTP, sont incapables de compléter la cytokinèse lorsque les niveaux endogènes de Sticky sont diminués par ARNi. Ceci suggère que Sticky agit avec Anillin et Rho1 au niveau du cortex pour guider la transition d’un AC dynamique vers un AM stable. Par la mise en évidence et la caractérisation d’un nouveau mécanisme moléculaire essentiel à la cytokinèse, cette thèse constitue des avancements importants au niveau de la cytokinèse. / Cytokinesis is a multistep process that allows two sister cells to undergo complete separation following mitosis. Cytokinesis requires the formation of a contractile ring (CR) that will drive cleavage furrow ingression at the equator of the cell. One of the crucial steps in this process is the transition from a dynamic CR to a more stable structure named the midbody ring (MR), which directs the final separation or abscission. Our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the CR-to-MR transition would presumably improve our understanding of the molecular complexes involved throughout cytokinesis from initiation to abscission. Defects that occur during this transition can lead to the formation of bi-nucleate tetraploid cells that are often observed in pathological conditions such as cancer. I have used Drosophila melanogaster Schneider’s S2 cells to study the CR-to-MR transition. My findings have highlighted a previously uncharacterized maturation process essential for the transition. More specifically, I demonstrate that the Citron Kinase, Sticky, and the Septin, Peanut, have opposing actions on the scaffold protein Anillin to either retain or extrude, respectively, membrane-positive proteins during the CR-to-MR transition. Indeed, Sticky depletion by RNAi led to uncontrolled loss of membrane-associated Anillin at the MR. Conversely, Peanut depletion led to inhibition of MR maturation by membrane extrusion. Co-depletion of Sticky and Peanut led to oscillatory movements of the CR, typical of Anillin depletion. Sticky is a cortical protein during cytokinesis whose role and interacting partners are controversial. I have performed a structure/function analysis of Sticky to better define its role and regulation during cytokinesis. My work shows that Sticky has two mechanisms of cortical localization. The first is through an Anillin interaction and the second is through the small GTPase Rho1, a master regulator of cytokinesis. Sticky can localize to the cortex in the absence of either one of these mechanisms. However, loss of both inhibits its localization. Following the identification of the minimal interaction sites of Anillin and Sticky, I expressed an Anillin mutant that lacked part of this site and found that cells failed cytokinesis in a similar manner to cells depleted of Sticky. Mutation of the Rho1 binding site on Sticky produced similar cytokinesis failures. Altogether, the results suggest that Sticky interacts with Anillin and Rho1 at the cortex to guide the transition from dynamic CR to stable MR. This thesis advances our understanding of cytokinesis by highlighting a previously uncharacterized process of MR maturation and by defining the importance and regulation of Citron Kinase during this process.