Long-range action of Wingless organizes the dorsal-ventral axis of the Drosophila wing.
Short-range interaction between dorsal and ventral (D and V) cells establishes an organizing center at the DV compartment boundary that controls growth and specifies cell fate along the dorsal-ventral axis of the Drosophila wing. The secreted signaling molecule Wingless (Wg) is expressed by cells at the DV compartment boundary and has been implicated in mediating its long-range patterning activities. Here we show that Wg acts directly, at long range, to define the expression domains of its target genes, Distal-less and vestigial. Expression of the Achaete-scute genes, Distal-less and vestigial at different distances from the DV boundary is controlled by Wg in a concentration-dependent manner. We propose that Wg acts as a morphogen in patterning the D/V axis of the wing.
Neumann
C J
CJ
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
Cohen
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D051155:Wnt1 Protein
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C095064:vg protein, Drosophila; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila