title: Discs large 5, an Essential Gene in Drosophila, Regulates Egg Chamber Organization.
abstract: Discs large 5 (Dlg5) is a member of the MAGUK family of proteins that typically serve as molecular scaffolds and mediate signaling complex formation and localization. In vertebrates, Dlg5 has been shown to be responsible for polarization of neural progenitors and to associate with Rab11-positive vesicles in epithelial cells. In Drosophila, however, the function of Dlg5 is not well-documented. We have identified dlg5 as an essential gene that shows embryonic lethality. dlg5 embryos display partial loss of primordial germ cells (PGCs) during gonad coalescence between stages 12 and 15 of embryogenesis. Loss of Dlg5 in germline and somatic stem cells in the ovary results in the depletion of both cell lineages. Reduced expression of Dlg5 in the follicle cells of the ovary leads to a number of distinct phenotypes, including defects in egg chamber budding, stalk cell overgrowth, and ectopic polar cell induction. Interestingly, loss of Dlg5 in follicle cells results in abnormal distribution of a critical component of cell adhesion, E-cadherin, shown to be essential for proper organization of egg chambers.
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, Rutgers University, Waksman Institute, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
authors: Eve
authors: E
authors: Reilly
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, Rutgers University, Waksman Institute, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
authors: Neha
authors: N
authors: Changela
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, Rutgers University, Waksman Institute, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
authors: Tatyana
authors: T
authors: Naryshkina
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors: Girish
authors: G
authors: Deshpande
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, Rutgers University, Waksman Institute, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 steward@waksman.rutgers.edu.
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Steward
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D020043:Genes, Essential; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins
keywords: Drosophila; E-cadherin; embryonic germ cells; oogenesis; stalk and polar cells