Asymmetric localization of frizzled and the establishment of cell polarity in the Drosophila wing.
The frizzled gene of Drosophila encodes a transmembrane receptor molecule required for cell polarity decisions in the adult cuticle. In the wing, a single trichome is produced by each cell, which normally points distally. In the absence of frizzled function, the trichomes no longer point uniformly distalward. We report that during cell polarization, the Frizzled receptor is localized to the distal cell edge, probably resulting in asymmetric Frizzled activity across the axis of the cell. Furthermore, Frizzled localization correlates with subsequent trichome polarity, suggesting that it may be an instructive cue in the determination of cell polarity. This differential receptor distribution may represent a novel mechanism for amplifying small differences in signaling activity across the axis of a cell.
Centre for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, S10 2TN, Sheffield, United Kingdom. d.strutt@sheffield.ac.uk
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D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D016764:Cell Polarity; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D011679:Pupa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C058784:fz protein, Drosophila