|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
First published online 2 February 2005
doi: 10.1242/dev.01669
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 ZMBH, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, 69120 Heidelberg,
Germany
2 Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstraße 35,
72076 Tübingen, Germany
3 Institut für Genetik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf,
Universitätsstrasse 1 Geb. 26.02., 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Author for correspondence (e-mail:
j.grosshans{at}zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de)
Accepted 24 December 2004
The physical interaction of the plasma membrane with the associated cortical cytoskeleton is important in many morphogenetic processes during development. At the end of the syncytial blastoderm of Drosophila the plasma membrane begins to fold in and forms the furrow canals in a regular hexagonal pattern. Every furrow canal leads the invagination of membrane between adjacent nuclei. Concomitantly with furrow canal formation, actin filaments are assembled at the furrow canal. It is not known how the regular pattern of membrane invagination and the morphology of the furrow canal is determined and whether actin filaments are important for furrow canal formation. We show that both the guanyl-nucleotide exchange factor RhoGEF2 and the formin Diaphanous (Dia) are required for furrow canal formation. In embryos from RhoGEF2 or dia germline clones, furrow canals do not form at all or are considerably enlarged and contain cytoplasmic blebs. Both Dia and RhoGEF2 proteins are localised at the invagination site prior to formation of the furrow canal. Whereas they localise independently of F-actin, Dia localisation requires RhoGEF2. The amount of F-actin at the furrow canal is reduced in dia and RhoGEF2 mutants, suggesting that RhoGEF2 and Dia are necessary for the correct assembly of actin filaments at the forming furrow canal. Biochemical analysis shows that Rho1 interacts with both RhoGEF2 and Dia, and that Dia nucleates actin filaments. Our results support a model in which RhoGEF2 and dia control position, shape and stability of the forming furrow canal by spatially restricted assembly of actin filaments required for the proper infolding of the plasma membrane.
Key words: formin, blastoderm, furrow canal, morphogenesis, Drosophila melanogaster
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
Related articles in Development:
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  T. J. Widmann and C. Dahmann Dpp signaling promotes the cuboidal-to-columnar shape transition of Drosophila wing disc epithelia by regulating Rho1 J. Cell Sci., May 1, 2009; 122(9): 1362 - 1373. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. L. Webb, M.-N. Zhou, and B. M. McCartney A novel role for an APC2-Diaphanous complex in regulating actin organization in Drosophila Development, April 15, 2009; 136(8): 1283 - 1293. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. van Impel, S. Schumacher, M. Draga, H.-M. Herz, J. Grosshans, and H. A. J. Muller Regulation of the Rac GTPase pathway by the multifunctional Rho GEF Pebble is essential for mesoderm migration in the Drosophila gastrula Development, March 1, 2009; 136(5): 813 - 822. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Cao, R. Albertson, B. Riggs, C. M. Field, and W. Sullivan Nuf, a Rab11 effector, maintains cytokinetic furrow integrity by promoting local actin polymerization J. Cell Biol., July 28, 2008; 182(2): 301 - 313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. Sokac and E. Wieschaus Zygotically controlled F-actin establishes cortical compartments to stabilize furrows during Drosophila cellularization J. Cell Sci., June 1, 2008; 121(11): 1815 - 1824. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Mulinari, M. P. Barmchi, and U. Hacker DRhoGEF2 and Diaphanous Regulate Contractile Force during Segmental Groove Morphogenesis in the Drosophila Embryo Mol. Biol. Cell, May 1, 2008; 19(5): 1883 - 1892. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. C. F. Homem and M. Peifer Diaphanous regulates myosin and adherens junctions to control cell contractility and protrusive behavior during morphogenesis Development, March 15, 2008; 135(6): 1005 - 1018. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. M. Kitzing, A. S. Sahadevan, D. T. Brandt, H. Knieling, S. Hannemann, O. T. Fackler, J. Grosshans, and R. Grosse Positive feedback between Dia1, LARG, and RhoA regulates cell morphology and invasion Genes & Dev., June 15, 2007; 21(12): 1478 - 1483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. T. Fox and M. Peifer Abelson kinase (Abl) and RhoGEF2 regulate actin organization during cell constriction in Drosophila Development, February 1, 2007; 134(3): 567 - 578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 V. Kolsch, T. Seher, G. J. Fernandez-Ballester, L. Serrano, and M. Leptin Control of Drosophila Gastrulation by Apical Localization of Adherens Junctions and RhoGEF2 Science, January 19, 2007; 315(5810): 384 - 386. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. E. Dawes-Hoang, K. M. Parmar, A. E. Christiansen, C. B. Phelps, A. H. Brand, and E. F. Wieschaus folded gastrulation, cell shape change and the control of myosin localization Development, September 15, 2005; 132(18): 4165 - 4178. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
