The 14-3-3 (YWHA) Proteins in Signalling and Development of the Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster

The 14-3-3 (YWHA or Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase/Tryptophan 5-Monooxygenase Activation proteins) are a family of highly conserved, homologous proteins critical to diverse cellular events including cell cycle, signal transduction and embryonic development. Various species-specific isoforms of 14-3-3 exist, encoded by separate genes. They are expressed in a wide variety of organisms ranging from plants to animals, including the fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster . Drosophila is one of the most universally accepted model systems to study complex cellular mechanisms of signalling and development. However, regulation of these processes in fruit flies by the 14-3-3 proteins have not been entirely understood. This mini review encapsulates the expression, distribution, interactions and regulatory roles of the 14-3-3 proteins in Drosophila . The analysis would help to elucidate some of the molecular bases of key cell-signalling mechanisms and development.