Rab11 is required for myoblast fusion in Drosophila.
Rab11, an evolutionarily conserved, ubiquitously expressed subfamily of small monomeric Rab GTPases, has been implicated in regulating vesicular trafficking through the recycling of endosomal compartment. In order to gain an insight into the role of this gene in myogenesis during embryonic development, we have studied the expression pattern of Rab11 in mesoderm during muscle differentiation in Drosophila embryo. When dominant-negative or constitutively active Drosophila Rab11 proteins are expressed or Rab11 is reduced via double-stranded RNA in muscle precursors, they cause partial failure of myoblast fusion and show anomalies in the shape of the muscle fibres. Our results suggest that Rab11 plays no role in cell fate specification in muscle precursors but is required late in the process of myoblast fusion.
Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005, India.
Tanmay
T
Bhuin
Jagat K
JK
Roy
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002459:Cell Fusion; D048430:Cell Shape; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019076:Transgenes; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099193:rab11 GTP-Binding Proteins
D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins; D000099193:rab11 GTP-Binding Proteins