Cell type-specific roles for Cdc42, Rac and RhoL in Drosophila oogenesis

• Published in: The Journal of cell biology Vol. 133; no. 3; pp. 617 - 630
• Main Authors: Murphy, A.M. (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.), Montell, D.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Rockefeller University Press 01.05.1996; The Rockefeller University Press
• Subjects: Actins; Actins - metabolism; ACTIVIDAD ENZIMATICA; ACTIVITE ENZYMATIQUE; Animals; ARN MENSAJERO; ARN MESSAGER; Base Sequence; Biological Transport - physiology; Cell Movement - physiology; Cell nucleus; Cells; Cellular biology; Cloning, Molecular; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; Cytoplasm - metabolism; DESARROLLO EMBRIONARIO; DEVELOPPEMENT EMBRYONNAIRE; DIFERENCIACION CELULAR; DIFFERENCIATION CELLULAIRE; Drosophila; Drosophila - cytology; DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER; Drosophila Proteins; Eggs; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; Female; Follicles; GAMETE; GAMETOS; GENE; GENES; Germ Cells - cytology; Germ Cells - enzymology; GLOBULINAS; GLOBULINE; GTP Phosphohydrolases - metabolism; GTP Phosphohydrolases - physiology; GTP-Binding Proteins - physiology; HIDROLASAS; HYDROLASE; Insect Hormones - physiology; Insects; LARVAS; LARVE; Membrane Proteins - physiology; Molecular Sequence Data; MORFOGENESIS; MORPHOGENESE; Nurses; OOGENESIS; Oogenesis - physiology; OVAIRE; OVARIOS; OVOGENESE; Ovum - cytology; Ovum - enzymology; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; Proteins; rac GTP-Binding Proteins; SECUENCIA NUCLEOTIDICA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; SEQUENCE NUCLEOTIDIQUE; Shock heating; Somatic cells; Swiss 3T3 cells
• ISSN: 0021-9525; 1540-8140
• DOI: 10.1083/jcb.133.3.617

The Rho subfamily of GTPases has been shown to regulate cellular morphology. We report the discovery of a new member of the Rho family, named RhoL, which is equally similar to Rac, Rho, and Cdc42. Expression of a dominant-negative RhoL transgene in the Drosophila ovary caused nurse cells to collapse and fuse together. Mutant forms of Cdc42 mimicked this effect. Expression of constitutively active RhoL led to nurse cell subcortical actin breakdown and disruption of nurse cell-follicle cell contacts, followed by germ cell apoptosis. In contrast, Rac activity was specifically required for migration of a subset of follicle cells called border cells. All three activities were necessary for normal transfer of nurse cell cytoplasm to the oocyte. These results suggest that Rho protein activities have cell type-specific effects on morphogenesis