title: Polycomb and Hox Genes Control JNK-Induced Remodeling of the Segment Boundary during Drosophila Morphogenesis.
abstract: In segmented tissues, anterior and posterior compartments represent independent morphogenetic domains, which are made of distinct lineages separated by boundaries. During dorsal closure of the Drosophila embryo, specific "mixer cells" (MCs) are reprogrammed in a JNK-dependent manner to express the posterior determinant engrailed (en) and cross the segment boundary. Here, we show that JNK signaling induces de novo expression of en in the MCs through repression of Polycomb (Pc) and release of the en locus from the silencing PcG bodies. Whereas reprogramming occurs in MCs from all thoracic and abdominal segments, cell mixing is restricted to the central abdominal region. We demonstrate that this spatial control of MC remodeling depends on the antagonist activity of the Hox genes abdominal-A and Abdominal-B. Together, these results reveal an essential JNK/en/Pc/Hox gene regulatory network important in controlling both the plasticity of segment boundaries and developmental reprogramming.
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roumengous
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06108 Nice, France. Electronic address: rousset@unice.fr.
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rousset
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06108 Nice, France. Electronic address: noselli@unice.fr.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noselli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000502:physiology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C410542:Abd-A protein, insect; C062393:Abd-B proteins, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C062236:dl protein, Drosophila
keywords: Abdominal-B; Hox; JNK; Polycomb; abdominal-A; dorsal closure; morphogenesis; reprogramming