|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
First published online 20 April 2005
doi: 10.1242/dev.01829
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2
3EJ, UK
2 Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building,
Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
3 School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG,
UK
4 Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biologia Molecular, `Severo Ochoa', CSIC-UAM,
Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
5 Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo,Universidad Pablo de Olavide,
Carretera de Utrera, Km 1, Sevilla 41013, Spain
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: hs17{at}cam.ac.uk)
Accepted 18 March 2005
Members of the Rho family of small GTPases are required for many of the morphogenetic processes required to shape the animal body. The activity of this family is regulated in part by a class of proteins known as RhoGTPase Activating Proteins (RhoGAPs) that catalyse the conversion of RhoGTPases to their inactive state. In our search for genes that regulate Drosophila morphogenesis, we have isolated several lethal alleles of crossveinless-c (cv-c). Molecular characterisation reveals that cv-c encodes the RhoGAP protein RhoGAP88C. During embryonic development, cv-c is expressed in tissues undergoing morphogenetic movements; phenotypic analysis of the mutants reveals defects in the morphogenesis of these tissues. Genetic interactions between cv-c and RhoGTPase mutants indicate that Rho1, Rac1 and Rac2 are substrates for Cv-c, and suggest that the substrate specificity might be regulated in a tissue-dependent manner. In the absence of cv-c activity, tubulogenesis in the renal or Malpighian tubules fails and they collapse into a cyst-like sack. Further analysis of the role of cv-c in the Malpighian tubules demonstrates that its activity is required to regulate the reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton during the process of convergent extension. In addition, overexpression of cv-c in the developing tubules gives rise to actin-associated membrane extensions. Thus, Cv-c function is required in tissues actively undergoing morphogenesis, and we propose that its role is to regulate RhoGTPase activity to promote the coordinated organisation of the actin cytoskeleton, possibly by stabilising plasma membrane/actin cytoskeleton interactions.
Key words: crossveinless-c, Drosophila, Morphogenesis, RhoGTPase, RhoGAP, Actin cytoskeleton, Convergent extension
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:
|
|
 |
|
  A. Lahoz and A. Hall DLC1: a significant GAP in the cancer genome Genes & Dev., July 1, 2008; 22(13): 1724 - 1730. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Betson and J. Settleman A Rho-Binding Protein Kinase C-Like Activity Is Required for the Function of Protein Kinase N in Drosophila Development Genetics, August 1, 2007; 176(4): 2201 - 2212. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Simoes, B. Denholm, D. Azevedo, S. Sotillos, P. Martin, H. Skaer, J. C.-G. Hombria, and A. Jacinto Compartmentalisation of Rho regulators directs cell invagination during tissue morphogenesis Development, November 1, 2006; 133(21): 4257 - 4267. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Cela and M. Llimargas Egfr is essential for maintaining epithelial integrity during tracheal remodelling in Drosophila Development, August 15, 2006; 133(16): 3115 - 3125. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Brodu and J. Casanova The RhoGAP crossveinless-c links trachealess and EGFR signaling to cell shape remodeling in Drosophila tracheal invagination. Genes & Dev., July 1, 2006; 20(13): 1817 - 1828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. B. O'Connor, D. Umulis, H. G. Othmer, and S. S. Blair Shaping BMP morphogen gradients in the Drosophila embryo and pupal wing Development, January 15, 2006; 133(2): 183 - 193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
