Spatial and temporal distribution of Patched-related protein in the Drosophila embryo.
Patched-related (Ptr) encodes a protein with 12 potential transmembrane domains and a sterol-sensing domain that is closely related in predicted topology and domain organization to Patched, the canonical receptor of the Hedgehog pathway. Here we describe the production of an antibody specific for Drosophila Ptr and analyse its spatial and temporal distribution in the embryo. We find that at early developmental stages Ptr is predominantly localized at cell periphery but later on it becomes strongly and almost exclusively expressed in hemocytes. Interestingly Ptr null mutant embryos died without hatching. Our findings suggest that Ptr plays an essential function in Drosophila development, perhaps as a new receptor of embryonic hemocytes.
Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina-Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: cbolatto@fmed.edu.uy.
Carmen
C
Bolatto
Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina-Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: cristinap@fmed.edu.uy.
Cristina
C
Parada
Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina-Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: fiorev85@gmail.com.
Fiorella
F
Revello
Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Expresión Génica, INTA-Universidad de Chile and Fondap Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: jano@inta.uchile.cl.
Alejandro
A
Zuñiga
Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Expresión Génica, INTA-Universidad de Chile and Fondap Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago, Chile.
Pablo
P
Cabrera
Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Expresión Génica, INTA-Universidad de Chile and Fondap Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: vcambiaz@inta.cl.
Verónica
V
Cambiazo
D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C070844:ptc protein, Drosophila
Drosophila; Embryogenesis; Hemocyte; Patched-related