Polychaetoid/ZO-1 is required for cell specification and rearrangement during Drosophila tracheal morphogenesis.
The development of the complex network of epithelial tubes that ultimately forms the Drosophila tracheal system relies on cell migration, cell shape changes, cell rearrangements, cell differentiation, and branch fusion . Most of these events are controlled by a combination of distinct transcription factors and cell-cell signaling molecules, but few proteins that do not fall within these two functional classes have been associated with tracheal development. We show that the MAGUK protein Polychaetoid (Pyd/ZO-1), the Drosophila homolog of the junctional protein ZO-1 , plays a dual role in the formation of tracheal tubes. pyd/ZO-1 mutant embryos display branch fusion defects due to the lack of reliable determination of the fusion cell fate. In addition, pyd/ZO-1 mutant embryos show impaired cell intercalation in thin tracheal branches. Pyd/ZO-1 localizes to the adherens junctions (AJs) in tracheal cells and might thus play a direct role in the regulation of the dynamic state of the AJ during epithelial remodeling. Our study suggests that MAGUK proteins might play important roles during AJ remodeling in epithelial morphogenesis.
Jung
Alain C
AC
Abteilung Zellbiologie, Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Ribeiro
Carlos
C
Michaut
Lydia
L
Certa
Ulrich
U
Affolter
Markus
M
D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D062725:Tight Junction Proteins; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D062725:Tight Junction Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; C569041:pyd protein, Drosophila; C099995:trh protein, Drosophila; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins