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The Ecdysone receptor constrains wingless expression to pattern cell cycle across the Drosophila wing margin in a

Naomi C Mitchell1, Jane I Lin, Olga Zaytseva

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Melbourne, Australia.

BMC Developmental Biology
|July 16, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Ecdysone receptor (EcR) controls cell cycle timing in Drosophila wing development by regulating Wingless (Wg) expression. This study reveals Wg as a key intermediary linking EcR to cell cycle progression and differentiation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Molecular genetics
  • Drosophila melanogaster research

Background:

  • Ecdysone signaling, mediated by the ecdysone receptor (EcR), orchestrates key developmental processes including apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and differentiation.
  • Previous research indicated that EcR influences cell cycle gene expression indirectly, suggesting the involvement of intermediary factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the intermediary factor linking ecdysone receptor signaling to cell cycle regulation during Drosophila wing development.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which EcR controls cell cycle progression and differentiation in the wing margin.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of gene expression patterns in Drosophila wing margin.
  • Manipulation of ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Wingless (Wg) signaling pathways using knockdown techniques.
  • Investigation of protein-DNA interactions at the wg promoter.

Main Results:

  • The ecdysone receptor (EcR) patterns cell cycle gene expression, specifically Cyclin B (CycB), in the Drosophila wing margin by constraining wg transcription.
  • Wingless (Wg) acts as an intermediary, and its co-knockdown rescues CycB patterning defects in EcR knockdown cells.
  • EcR does not directly target Wg; instead, repression of Wg by EcR is mediated through the transcription factor Crol binding to the wg promoter.

Conclusions:

  • A novel mechanism connecting ecdysone signaling to developmental patterning signals is elucidated.
  • This pathway ensures the precise timing of cell cycle exit and differentiation during Drosophila wing margin development.

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