Abstract
Dorsal closure is a morphogenetic process involving the coordinated convergence of two epithelial sheets to enclose the Drosophila melanogaster embryo. Specialized populations of cells at the edges of each epithelial sheet, the dorsal-most epidermal cells, emit actin-based processes that are essential for the proper enclosure of the embryo. Here we show that actin dynamics at the leading edge is preceded by a planar polarization of the dorsal-most epidermal cells associated with a reorganization of the cytoskeleton. An important consequence of this planar polarization is the formation of actin-nucleating centres at the leading edge, which are important in the dynamics of actin. We show that Wingless (Wg) signalling and Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) signalling have overlapping but different roles in these events.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Actins / genetics
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Actins / physiology*
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Animals
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Cell Polarity / genetics
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Cell Polarity / physiology*
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Drosophila Proteins / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins / physiology
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Drosophila melanogaster / cytology*
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Drosophila melanogaster / embryology
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Drosophila melanogaster / physiology*
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Embryo, Nonmammalian / cytology
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Embryo, Nonmammalian / physiology
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Epidermal Cells*
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Epidermis / physiology*
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JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases*
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MAP Kinase Kinase 4
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / genetics
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / physiology
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Morphogenesis / genetics
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Mutation
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology
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Signal Transduction / genetics
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Signal Transduction / physiology*
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Wnt1 Protein
Substances
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Actins
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Drosophila Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Wnt1 Protein
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wg protein, Drosophila
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JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
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MAP Kinase Kinase 4
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases