Gradients and the specification of planar polarity in the insect cuticle.
In addition to specifying cell fate, there is a wealth of evidence that molecular gradients are also primarily responsible for specifying cell polarity, particularly in the plane of epithelial sheets ("planar polarity"). The first compelling evidence of a role for gradients in specifying planar polarity came from transplantation experiments in the insect cuticle. More recent molecular genetic analyses in the fruit fly Drosophila have begun to give insights into the molecular nature of the gradients involved, and how they are interpreted at the cellular level.
Strutt
David
D
MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics and Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. d.strutt@sheffield.ac.uk
D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D016764:Cell Polarity; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004330:Drosophila / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007313:Insecta; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000378:metabolism
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C058784:fz protein, Drosophila