Discs Lost, a novel multi-PDZ domain protein, establishes and maintains epithelial polarity.
Polarization of epithelial cells depends on a hierarchical process whereby specific membrane-associated proteins become targeted to specialized membrane domains. Here, we describe a novel Drosophila protein, Discs Lost (DLT), that plays a crucial role in the polarization of embryonic epithelia during cellular blastoderm formation. At subsequent stages of development, DLT interacts with the apical determinant Crumbs (CRB) and the laterally localized protein Neurexin IV (NRX IV). Mutations in dlt or double-stranded RNA interference lead to aberrant localization of CRB and NRX IV and cause a concomitant loss of epithelial cell polarity. Hence, DLT is required to establish and maintain cell polarity and participates in different molecular complexes that define apical and lateral membrane domains.
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Izaddoost
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Choi
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Bellen
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D016764:Cell Polarity; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D015870:Gene Expression; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C491321:Nrx protein, Drosophila; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; C064360:crb protein, Drosophila; C118488:dlt protein, Drosophila