Welcome to Vanderbilt University Medical School Department of Cell and Developmental Biology

Drosophila cellularized embryo from a nopo mnk female stained for actin (green) and DNA (red) revealing cells with irregular DNA masses. NOPO E3 ubiquitin ligase is required for syncytial embryogenesis. Mutation of the DNA checkpoint kinase MNK (Chk2 homolog) allows nopo-derived embryos to undergo further development despite accumulation of DNA defects.