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Wingless gradient formation in the Drosophila wing.

M Strigini1, S M Cohen

  • 1European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany.

Current Biology : CB
|April 4, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Wingless (Wg) morphogen forms an unstable extracellular gradient in Drosophila imaginal discs. This gradient relies on continuous secretion and rapid turnover, not endocytosis, suggesting diffusion drives Wg movement.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cell signaling
  • Morphogen gradients

Background:

  • Secreted signaling proteins like Wingless (Wg)/Wnt, Hedgehog, and BMP/Dpp are crucial morphogens controlling development.
  • Understanding how morphogen gradients form in vivo is essential for developmental biology.
  • Wg protein is observed in vesicles within Wg-responsive cells, suggesting a potential vesicle-mediated transport mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the in vivo mechanism of Wingless (Wg) morphogen gradient formation.
  • To determine the role of endocytosis and secretion in Wg gradient establishment.
  • To visualize extracellular Wg protein dynamics in the Drosophila wing imaginal disc.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel method for visualizing extracellular Wg protein.
  • Utilizing reversible Wg secretion blockade to study Wg movement.
  • Assessing the requirement of dynamin-mediated endocytosis for Wg transport and secretion.

Main Results:

  • Wg forms an unstable gradient on the basolateral surface of the wing imaginal disc epithelium.
  • Wg movement to form the gradient does not require dynamin-mediated endocytosis.
  • Dynamin activity is essential for Wg secretion, and blocking secretion halts gradient formation.

Conclusions:

  • The Wg morphogen gradient is established through rapid extracellular ligand movement.
  • Continuous secretion and rapid turnover are critical for Wg gradient formation.
  • Endocytosis contributes to gradient shaping by Wg removal, while diffusion is proposed as the primary Wg movement mechanism.

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