Notch signaling is not sufficient to define the affinity boundary between dorsal and ventral compartments.
The developing limbs of Drosophila are subdivided into distinct cells populations known as compartments. Short-range interaction between cells in adjacent compartments induces expression of signaling molecules at the compartment boundaries. In addition to serving as the sources of long-range signals, compartment boundaries prevent mixing of the adjacent cell populations. One model for boundary formation proposes that affinity differences between compartments are defined autonomously as one aspect of compartment-specific cell identity. An alternative is that the affinity boundary depends on signaling between compartments. Here, we present evidence that the dorsal selector gene apterous plays a role in establishing the dorsoventral affinity boundary that is independent of Notch-mediated signaling between dorsal and ventral cells.
Milán
M
M
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
Cohen
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005121:Extremities / Q000196:embryology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C497759:N protein, Drosophila; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051880:Receptors, Notch