"Directed cell migration is a crucial process in all organisms from embryonic development through adulthood. It is essential in embryonic development for proper formation of tissues and organs and in adult stages for tissue angiogenesis and wound healing. However, it is also a major contributor to diseases such as in cancer and chronic inflammation. The basic features of how a cell moves have been well characterized in tissue culture systems; however, how cells interact with the environment in vivo and how these complex interactions shape their behavior are less well understood. A central feature of directed cell migration is the perception of attractant and repellant cues. Cells respond to signals as they migrate toward and associate with target sites. The importance of signals and behaviors of the tissue microenvironment for this migratory response remain largely unexplored in vivo. We will use germ cells in the Drosophila embryo as a model system in which to explore these important questions.It is now well established that some extracellular signals, such as Wnt and Hh, are lipid-modified and that this modification is functionally required. My work has demonstrated a novel function in multicellular organisms of a highly conserved pathway that produces and exports prenylated signals. The use of this unconventional, signal-peptide independent, secretory pathway for chemoattractant export had previously only been demonstrated for the prenylated a-factor pheromone in S. Cerevisiae. However, all members of this pathway are conserved from yeast to humans, leading to the intriguing possibility that chemoattractants are similarly produced and exported in multicellular eukaryotes. My goal is to identify the prenylated chemoattractant and elucidate the molecular and cellular role of this pathway in migrating germ cells and soma-germline communication.This will shed light on the roles of this pathway in higher eukaryotes."