E-cadherin-mediated adhesion is not the founding event of epithelial cell polarity in Drosophila.
Formation of a polarized epithelial layer is a fundamental step during the development of multicellular animals. This process involves the coordinated action of adhesion molecules, actin remodeling and spatial organization of membrane traffic. A recent article describes a new hierarchy for the development of epithelial polarity in the early Drosophila embryo. Bazooka, a Par-3 homolog, is properly localized in the absence of adherens junctions, indicating that the formation of epithelial junctions is not the founding event of epithelial polarization.
Le Bivic
André
A
Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille, Faculté des Sciences de Luminy, UMR 6156, case 907, Marseille 13288, France. lebivic@ibdm.univ-mrs.fr
D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals; D008954:Models, Biological
D015820:Cadherins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules