The role of Dpp signaling in maintaining the Drosophila anteroposterior compartment boundary

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Jie Shen - , Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (First author)
  • Christian Dahmann - , Chair of Systems Biology and Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Second author)

Abstract

The subdivision of the developing Drosophila wing into anterior (A) and posterior (P) compartments is important for its development. The activities of the selector genes engrailed and invected in posterior cells and the transduction of the Hedgehog signal in anterior cells are required for maintaining the A/P boundary. Based on a previous study, it has been proposed that the signaling molecule Decapentaplegic (Dpp) is also important for this function by signaling from anterior to posterior cells. However, it was not known whether and in which cells Dpp signal transduction was required for maintaining the A/P boundary. Here, we have investigated the role of the Dpp signal transduction pathway and the epistatic relationship of Dpp and Hedgehog signaling in maintaining the A/P boundary by clonal analysis. We show that a transcriptional response to Dpp involving the T-box protein Optomotor-blind is required to maintain the A/P boundary. Further, we find that Dpp signal transduction is required in anterior cells, but not in posterior cells, indicating that anterior to posterior signaling by Dpp is not important for maintaining the A/P boundary. Finally, we provide evidence that Dpp signaling acts downstream of or in parallel with Hedgehog signaling to maintain the A/P boundary. We propose that Dpp signaling is required for anterior cells to interpret the Hedgehog signal in order to specify segregation properties important for maintaining the A/P boundary.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)31-43
Number of pages13
JournalDevelopmental Biology
Volume279
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2005
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 13544256414

Keywords

DFG Classification of Subject Areas according to Review Boards

Subject groups, research areas, subject areas according to Destatis

Keywords

  • Drosophila, Imaginal disc, Compartment boundary, Cell segregation, Decapentaplegic, Optomotor-blind, T-box

Library keywords