title: A sharp end to sugary Wingless travels.
abstract: Drosophila melanogaster follicle stem cells are controlled by Wingless (Wg) ligands secreted 50 µm away, raising the question of how long-distance Wg spreading occurs. In this issue of JCB, Wang and Page-McCaw (2014. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201403084) demonstrate a potential mechanism by which the heparan sulfate proteoglycan Dally-like (Dlp) promotes Wg travel, whereas matrix Mmp2 (Metalloproteinase 2) impedes it by inactivating Dlp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: Ilia A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Droujinine
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 perrimon@receptor.med.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Perrimon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2