Determining the role of Drosophila Salt Inducible Kinase 3 in animal growth in relation to dietary nutrients

This thesis examines the requirement for Salt Inducible Kinase 3 (SIK3), a conserved regulator of metabolism across species, in normal and tumour growth, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. This thesis shows SIK3 is required for normal animal development in response to changes in dietary protein and carbohydrate levels, and that SIK3 systemically interacts with Src signalling in tumour growth. Overall this thesis provides further understanding of SIK3 as the molecular link that integrates diet with metabolic and growth pathways. Thus, SIK3 activity may be crucial in human metabolic-related disorders such as obesity/diabetes and the cancers arising in these patients.