The segment polarity gene hedgehog is required for progression of the morphogenetic furrow in the developing Drosophila eye.
Cell-type specification in the Drosophila compound eye begins at the morphogenetic furrow. The furrow sweeps across the developing eye epithelium and is coincident with four classes of cellular events: coordinated changes in cell shape, changes in gene expression, synchronization of the cell cycle, and the specification of a regular array of ommatidial founder cells. The molecular mechanisms that induce these events in the developing eye have hitherto been unknown. We identify here a gene specifically required for furrow progression, hedgehog (hh). We show that hh expression posterior to the morphogenetic furrow is continuously required for its progression. We propose that forward diffusion of hh protein induces anterior cells to enter the furrow.
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Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089.
Zhou
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Beachy
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Moses
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D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology*; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D017344:Genes, Insect; D016153:Genes, Suppressor; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009030:Mosaicism; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000196:embryology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C070844:ptc protein, Drosophila; C077245:hh protein, Drosophila