Furry is required for cell movements during gastrulation and functionally interacts with NDR1

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Cell Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Gastrulation is a fundamental process in animal embryogenesis, establishing embryonic axes and germ layers.
• Cell polarization is vital for cell movements, division, and shape changes during gastrulation.
• The evolutionarily conserved furry (fry) gene is known for roles in cell polarization and morphogenesis in invertebrates, but its vertebrate function is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the furry (fry) gene in Xenopus gastrulation and vertebrate development.
• To elucidate Fry's function in morphogenetic processes beyond its known role in dorsal mesoderm gene expression.

Main Methods:

• Morpholino knock-down technique was used to deplete Fry in Xenopus embryos.
• Analysis of cell movements, morphological polarization, and dorsal mesoderm convergent extension.
• Evaluation of functional interaction between Fry and NDR1 kinase.

Main Results:

• Fry plays a significant role in blastopore closure and dorsal axis elongation in Xenopus.
• Loss of Fry function severely disrupts cell movement and morphological polarization during gastrulation.
• Fry is essential for dorsal mesoderm convergent extension, impacting head-to-tail elongation.
• A functional interaction between Fry and NDR1 kinase was identified, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved complex.

Conclusions:

• Fry is a key regulator of morphogenetic movements during Xenopus gastrulation.
• Fry, in conjunction with NDR1 kinase, forms an evolutionarily conserved complex essential for embryonic morphogenesis.
• This study highlights Fry's critical, previously uncharacterized functions in vertebrate embryonic development.