Control of growth and positional information by the graded vestigial expression pattern in the wing of Drosophila melanogaster.
The size and shape of organs depend on cellular processes such as cell proliferation, cell survival, and spatial arrangement of cells. In turn, all of these processes are a consequence of positional identity of individual cells in whole organs. Links of positional information with organ growth and pattern expression of genes is a little-addressed question. We show that differences in vestigial expression between neighboring cells of the wing blade autonomously and nonautonomously affect cell proliferation along the proximo-distal axis. On the other hand, uniform expression of vestigial inhibits cell proliferation and also perturbs the shape of wing blade altering the preferential orientation of cell divisions. Our observations provide evidence that local cell interactions, triggered by differences in vestigial expression between neighboring cells, confer positional values operating in the control of growth and shape of the wing.
Baena-Lopez
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LA
Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Edificio Ciencias, CX-504 28049 Madrid, Spain.
García-Bellido
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A
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D051155:Wnt1 Protein
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C095064:vg protein, Drosophila; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila