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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Confocal and Super-Resolution Imaging of Polarized Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins During Drosophila Oogenesis
Published on: May 19, 2022
Integrin alpha chains exhibit distinct temporal and spatial localization patterns in epithelial cells of the
Michael B Dinkins1, Victoria M Fratto, Ellen K Lemosy
1Department of Cellular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 15th Street, CB1101, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
Abstract:
Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that modulate cell adhesion, migration, and signaling. Multiple integrin chains contribute to development and morphogenesis of a given tissue. Here, we analyze the expression of Drosophila integrin alpha chains in the ovarian follicular epithelium, a model for tissue morphogenesis and cell migration. We find expression throughout development of the beta chain, betaPS. Alpha chains, however, exhibit both spatial and temporal expression differences. alphaPS1 and alphaPS2 integrins are detected during early and mid-oogenesis on apical, lateral, and basal membranes with the betaPS chain, whereas alphaPS3-family integrins (alphaPS3, alphaPS4, alphaPS5) are expressed in anterior cells late in oogenesis. Surprisingly, we find that alphaPS3-family integrins are dispensable for dorsal appendage morphogenesis but play a role in the final length of the egg, suggesting redundant functions of integrins in a simple tissue. We also demonstrate roles for alphaPS3betaPS integrin in border cell migration and in stretch cells.
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