Wingless Repression of Drosophila frizzled 2 Expression Shapes the Wingless Morphogen Gradient in the Wing

• Published in: Cell Vol. 93; no. 5; pp. 767 - 777
• Main Authors: Cadigan, Kenneth M, Fish, Matthew P, Rulifson, Eric J, Nusse, Roel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 29.05.1998
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Transport; Blotting, Western; Body Patterning; Cell Communication; Drosophila - embryology; Drosophila Proteins; Frizzled Receptors; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes, Insect; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization; Models, Biological; Morphogenesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Receptors, Cell Surface - biosynthesis; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Receptors, Neurotransmitter; Tissue Distribution; Wings, Animal - embryology; Wnt1 Protein
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81438-5

In Drosophila wing imaginal discs, the Wingless (Wg) protein acts as a morphogen, emanating from the dorsal/ventral (D/V) boundary of the disc to directly define cell identities along the D/V axis at short and long range. Here, we show that high levels of a Wg receptor, Drosophila frizzled 2 (Dfz2), stabilize Wg, allowing it to reach cells far from its site of synthesis. Wg signaling represses Dfz2 expression, creating a gradient of decreasing Wg stability moving toward the D/V boundary. This repression of Dfz2 is crucial for the normal shape of Wg morphogen gradient as well as the response of cells to the Wg signal. In contrast to other ligand–receptor relationships where the receptor limits diffusion of the ligand, Dfz2 broadens the range of Wg action by protecting it from degradation.