title: Antagonism between EGFR and Wingless signalling in the larval cuticle of Drosophila.
abstract: Signalling by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a critical role in the segmental patterning of the ventral larval cuticle in Drosophila: by expressing a dominant-negative EGFR molecule or Spitz, an activating ligand of EGFR, we show that EGFR signalling specifies the anterior denticles in each segment of the larval abdomen. We provide evidence that these denticles derive from a segmental zone of embryonic cells in which EGFR signalling activity is maximal. Within each segment, there is a competition between the denticle fate specified by EGFR signalling and the naked cuticle fate specified by Wingless signalling. The final pattern of the denticle belts is the product of this antagonism between the two signalling pathways. Finally, we show that the segmental zones of high EGFR signalling activity depend on bithorax gene function and that they account for the main difference in shape between abdominal and thoracic denticle belts.
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Szüts
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bienz
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000196:embryology; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007814:Larva; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012234:Rho Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013909:Thorax / Q000196:embryology; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051155:Wnt1 Protein
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012234:Rho Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066177:Ubx protein, Drosophila; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila; C066591:abd-A protein, Drosophila; C075638:aos protein, Drosophila; C076026:spi protein, Drosophila; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors