Nonmuscle myosin II localization is regulated by JNK during Drosophila larval wound healing.
We investigated cell shape changes during wound closure in the Drosophila larval epidermis. During reepithelialization, epidermal cells permanently change shape from pentagonal or hexagonal to irregular forms. This process requires zipper, a gene encoding the Drosophila nonmuscle myosin II heavy chain. Following wounding, myosin II is localized at the wound margin and at the rear end of individual cells located within several rows from the wound hole. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is essential for this myosin II localization. These results suggest that not only the wound leading edge but also the cells lying distal to the leading edge cells actively participate in epithelial cell sheet migration during wound hole closure.
Department of Biology, Yonsei University, 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea.
Young-Chang
YC
Kwon
Seung Hee
SH
Baek
Hyangkyu
H
Lee
Kwang-Min
KM
Choe
D000818:Animals; D048430:Cell Shape; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism*; D014945:Wound Healing
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C097862:Zip protein, Drosophila; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains