Transiently Reorganized Microtubules Are Essential for Zippering during Dorsal Closure in Drosophila melanogaster

There is emerging evidence that microtubules in nondividing cells can be employed to remodel the intracellular space. Here, we demonstrate an essential role for microtubules in dorsal closure, which occurs toward the end of Drosophila melanogaster embryogenesis. Dorsal closure is a morphogenetic pro...

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Published inDevelopmental cell Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 375 - 385
Main Authors Jankovics, Ferenc, Brunner, Damian
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, MA Elsevier Inc 01.09.2006
Cell Press
Subjects
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Body Patterning
Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis
Cell physiology
Cell structures and functions
CELLBIO
Centrosome - metabolism
Cytoskeleton, cytoplasm. Intracellular movements
DEVBIO
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster - embryology
Embryo, Nonmammalian
Embryonic Development
Epithelium - embryology
Epithelium - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Microscopy, Fluorescence
Microtubules - physiology
Molecular and cellular biology
Morphogenesis
CELLBIO
DEVBIO
Arthropoda
Insecta
Development
Cytoskeleton
Microtubule
Invertebrata
Drosophila melanogaster
Essential
Diptera
Drosophilidae
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Summary:There is emerging evidence that microtubules in nondividing cells can be employed to remodel the intracellular space. Here, we demonstrate an essential role for microtubules in dorsal closure, which occurs toward the end of Drosophila melanogaster embryogenesis. Dorsal closure is a morphogenetic process similar to wound healing, whereby a gap in the epithelium is closed through the coordinated action of different cell types. Surprisingly, this complex process requires microtubule function exclusively in epithelial cells and only for the last step, the zippering, which seals the gap. Preceding zippering, the epithelial microtubules reorganize to attain an unusual spatial distribution, which we describe with subcellular resolution in the intact, living organism. We provide a clearly defined example where cells of a developing organism transiently reorganize their microtubules to fulfill a specialized morphogenetic task.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:1534-5807
1878-1551
DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2006.07.014