title: Presence and roles of calcium gradients along the dorsal-ventral axis in Drosophila embryos.
abstract: Dorsal-ventral specification of the Drosophila embryo is mediated by signaling pathways which have been very well described in genetic terms. However, little is known about the physiology of Drosophila development. By imaging patterns of free cytosolic calcium in Drosophila embryos, we found that several calcium gradients are generated along the dorsal-ventral axis. The most pronounced gradient is formed during stage 5, in which calcium levels are high dorsally. Manipulation of the stage 5 calcium gradient affects specification of the amnioserosa, the dorsal-most region of the embryo. We further show that this calcium gradient is inhibited in pipe, Toll, and dorsal mutants, but is unaltered in decapentaplegic (dpp) or punt mutants, suggesting that the stage 5 calcium gradient is formed by a suppression of ventral calcium concentrations. We conclude that calcium plays a role in specification of the dorsal embryonic region.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Créton
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kreiling
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Jaffe
mesh_terms: D029404:Activin Receptors; D000331:Aequorin / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000235:genetics; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; C068721:Tl protein, Drosophila; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C062236:dl protein, Drosophila; C064196:dpp protein, Drosophila; D000331:Aequorin; D029404:Activin Receptors; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C115847:pip protein, Drosophila