Patterns and functions of STAT activation during Drosophila embryogenesis

The JAK/STAT pathway mediates cytokine signaling in mammals and is involved in the function and development of the hematopoietic and immune systems. To investigate the biological functions of the JAK/STAT pathway during Drosophila development, we examined the tissue-specific localization of the tyrosine-phosphorylated, or activated form of Drosophila STAT, STAT92E. Here we show that during Drosophila embryonic development STAT92E activation is prominently detected in multiple tissues and in different developmental stages. These tissues include the tracheal pits, elongating intestinal tracks, and growing axons. We demonstrate that stat92E mutants are defective in tracheal formation, hindgut elongation, and nervous system development. Conversely, STAT92E overactivation caused premature development of the tracheal and nervous systems, and over-elongation of the hindgut. These results suggest that STAT activation is involved in proper differentiation and morphogenesis of multiple tissues during Drosophila embryogenesis.     

The Drosophila STUbL protein Degringolade limits HES functions during embryogenesis

Degringolade (Dgrn) encodes a Drosophila SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) protein similar to that of mammalian RNF4. Dgrn facilitates the ubiquitylation of the HES protein Hairy, which disrupts the repressive activity of Hairy by inhibiting the recruitment of its cofactor Groucho. We show that Hey and all HES family members, except Her, interact with Dgrn and are substrates for its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Dgrn displays dynamic subcellular localization, accumulates in the nucleus at times when HES family members are active and limits Hey and HES family activity during sex determination, segmentation and neurogenesis. We show that Dgrn interacts with the Notch signaling pathway by it antagonizing the activity of E(spl)-C proteins. dgrn null mutants are female sterile, producing embryos that arrest development after two or three nuclear divisions. These mutant embryos exhibit fragmented or decondensed nuclei and accumulate higher levels of SUMO-conjugated proteins, suggesting a role for Dgrn in genome stability.     

Overlapping functions of microRNAs in control of apoptosis during Drosophila embryogenesis

Regulation of apoptosis is crucial for tissue homeostasis under normal development and environmental stress. In Drosophila, cell death occurs in different developmental processes including embryogenesis. Here, we report that two members of the miR-2 seed family of microRNAs, miR-6 and miR-11, function together to limit the level of apoptosis during Drosophila embryonic development. Mutants lacking both miR-6 and miR-11 show embryonic lethality and defects in the central nervous system (CNS). We provide evidence that miR-6/11 functions through regulation of the proapoptotic genes, reaper (rpr), head involution defective (hid), grim and sickle (skl). Upregulation of these proapoptotic genes is responsible for the elevated apoptosis and the CNS defects in the mutants. These findings demonstrate that the activity of the proapoptotic genes is kept in check by miR-6/11 to ensure normal development.     

Glycoconjugate expression during embryogenesis and its biological significance

Many stage-specific embryonic antigens (SSEAs) have been identified as glycoconjugates. These molecules may play diverse roles in the development of the embryo, including regulation of cell growth, recognition, and differentiation. The example of SSEA-1 is described in detail. This molecule appears to play an essential role in compaction of the early mouse embryo, and may illustrate the general importance of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions in controlling cell surface interactions in development.     

Cuticle differentiation during Drosophila embryogenesis

The constitutive criterion for the evolutionary successful clade of ecdysozoans is a protective exoskeleton. In insects the exoskeleton, the so-called cuticle consists of three functional layers, the waterproof envelope, the proteinaceous epicuticle and the chitinous procuticle that are produced as an extracellular matrix by the underlying epidermal cells. Here, we present our electron-microscopic study of cuticle differentiation during embryogenesis in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We conclude that cuticle differentiation in the Drosophila embryo occurs in three phases. In the first phase, the layers are established. Interestingly, we find that establishment of the layers occurs partially simultaneously rather than in a strict sequential manner as previously proposed. In the second phase the cuticle thickens. Finally, in the third phase, when secretion of cuticle material has ceased, the chitin laminae acquire their typical orientation, and the epicuticle of the denticles and the head skeleton darken. Our work will help to understand the phenotypes of embryos mutant for genes encoding essential cuticle factors, in turn revealing mechanisms of cuticle differentiation.     

Restricted spatial and temporal expression of G-protein alpha subunits during Drosophila embryogenesis.

Of the known signal transduction mechanisms, the most evolutionarily ancient is mediated by a family of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins or G proteins. In simple organisms, this form of sensory transduction is used exclusively to convey signals of developmental consequence. In metazoan organisms, however, the developmental role of G-protein-coupled sensory transduction has been more difficult to elucidate because of the wide variety of signals (peptides, small molecules, odorants, hormones, etc.) that use this form of sensory transduction. We have begun to examine the role of G-protein-coupled signaling during development by investigating the expression during Drosophila embryogenesis of a limited set of G proteins. Since these proteins are a common component of all G-protein-coupled signaling systems, their developmental pattern of expression should indicate when and where programmed changes in gene activity are initiated by, or involve the participation of, G-protein-coupled signaling events. We have focused on the spatial and temporal expression pattern of three different Drosophila G-protein alpha subunits by northern blot analysis, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry using antibodies directed to peptides specifically found in each alpha subunit. From the spatial and temporal restriction of the expression of each protein, our results suggest that different forms of G-protein-coupled sensory transduction may mediate developmental interactions during both early and late stages of embryogenesis and may participate in a variety of specific developmental processes such as the establishment of embryonic position, the ontogeny of the nervous system and organogenesis.     

Differential expression of Dystroglycan-spliceforms with and without the mucin-like domain during Drosophila embryogenesis

Dystroglycan (DG) is a widely expressed extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor required for muscle viability, synaptogenesis, basement-membrane formation and epithelial development. As an integral component of the Dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex, DG plays a central role in linking the ECM and the cytoskeleton. Disruption of this linkage in skeletal muscle is the underlying cause in various types of muscular dystrophies (MD). One particular type of MD is caused by alterations of O-linked glycosylation in the mucin-like domain of DG, which is required for binding of the ECM molecules Laminin and Perlecan. In epithelial cells, reduced expression of DG is associated with increased invasiveness of cancer cells and loss of cell polarity. Drosophila Dg is, in contrast to vertebrate Dg, subjected to differential splicing of the mRNA. Interestingly, the shorter DG splice forms lack the mucin?like domain. Here, we describe the embryonic expression patterns of full-length DG and a short variant of DG. We find that differential splicing of Dg is developmentally regulated and tissue-specific. In some tissues, e.g., hindgut, midgut constrictions, gonads, both DG variants can be detected. For the long form, we detected specific expression at the blastoderm stage, in the epidermis and in the tracheal pits. The short form showed exclusive expression in dorsal vessel cells, chordotonal organs and dorsal median cells. In the nervous system, the long form is predominantly expressed on axons, while the short form is present on glial cells. Our findings further support the idea that DG forms lacking the mucin-like domain serve a specific function in Drosophila.     

Lectin binding sites during Drosophila embryogenesis

The spectrum of lectin binding sites as it emerges during embryonic development of Drosophila was analysed by means of fluorescein-labelled lectins. As development and morphogenesis proceed, the reaction pattern becomes more and more complex. Mannose/glucose-, mannose-, N-acetylglucosamine- and poly-N-ace-tylglucosamine-specific lectins bind ubiquitously. Nuclear envelopes only have binding sites for wheat germ agglutinin. N-acetylgalactosamine-binding lectins are specific for ectodermal derivatives. Ga-3-N-acetylgalac-tosamine-binding lectins are highly selective markers for neural structures, haemocytes and Garland cells. It is also shown that Drosophila laminin is differentially glycosylated. The possible implications of differential and germ layer-specific glycosylation are discussed.Dedicated to the memory of Jan Callaerts     

Rice bicoid－related cDNA sequence and its expression during early embryogenesis

INTRODUCTIONThe establishment of embryonic polarity is oneof the critical events in embryogenesis. The polar distribution of maternal mRNA can be tracedto the unfertilized egg cell. After fertilization, itstranslational products trigger the zygotic targetgenes which define the embryonic region and fUIther direct the pattern formation and body planduring embryogenesis. In Drosophila, Bicoid is oneof the important maternal genes involved in thecontrol of embryo polarity and larvae segmen…     

Beta 3 tubulin expression characterizes the differentiating mesodermal germ layer during Drosophila embryogenesis

During embryogenesis, the beta 3 tubulin gene of Drosophila is transcribed predominantly in the mesoderm. We have raised antibodies specific to the C-terminal domain of the beta 3 tubulin and analysed by immunostaining the distribution of this tubulin isotype during Drosophila embryogenesis. The protein is first detectable in the cephalic mesoderm at maximal germband extension. Shortly afterwards, beta 3 tubulin is expressed in single cells at identical positions of the thoracic and abdominal segments. We suggest that these cells represent muscle pioneer cells of Drosophila. During later embryonic development the somatic musclature, visceral musculature, dorsal vessel and macrophages contain beta 3 tubulin. In dorsalizing mutants dorsal, snail and twist, which do not form a ventral furrow during gastrulation, beta 3 expression is greatly reduced but not completely abolished. Our analysis shows that beta 3 tubulin immunostaining characterizes the differentiation of mesodermal derivatives during embryogenesis.