Capicua regulates follicle cell fate in the Drosophila ovary through repression of mirror

Abstract

The dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila egg is established by dorsally localized activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) in the ovarian follicular epithelium. Subsequent positive- and negative-feedback regulation generates two dorsolateral follicle cell primordia that will produce the eggshell appendages. A dorsal midline domain of low Egfr activity between the appendage primordia defines their dorsal boundary, but little is known about the mechanisms that establish their ventral limit. We demonstrate that the transcriptional repressor Capicua is required cell autonomously in ventral and lateral follicle cells to repress dorsal fates, and functions in this process through the repression of mirror. Interestingly, ectopic expression of mirror in the absence of capicua is observed only in the anterior half of the epithelium. We propose that Capicua regulates the pattern of follicle cell fates along the dorsoventral axis by blocking the induction of appendage determinants, such as mirror, by anterior positional cues.