RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 <em>kette</em> and <em>blown fuse</em> interact genetically during the
second fusion step of myogenesis in <em>Drosophila</em>
JF Development
JO Development
FD The Company of Biologists Limited
SP 4501
OP 4509
DO 10.1242/dev.01309
VO 131
IS 18
A1 Schröter, Roxane H.
A1 Lier, Simone
A1 Holz, Anne
A1 Bogdan, Sven
A1 Klämbt, Christian
A1 Beck, Lothar
A1 Renkawitz-Pohl, Renate
YR 2004
UL http://dev.biologists.org/content/131/18/4501.abstract
AB Drosophila myoblast fusion proceeds in two steps. The first one gives rise to small syncytia, the muscle precursor cells, which then recruit further fusion competent myoblasts to reach the final muscle size. We have identified Kette as an essential component for myoblast fusion. In kette mutants, founder cells and fusion-competent myoblasts are determined correctly and overcome the very first fusion. But then, at the precursor cell stage, fusion is interrupted. At the ultrastructural level, fusion is characterised by cell-cell recognition, alignment, formation of prefusion complexes, electron dense plaques and membrane breakdown. In kette mutants, electron dense plaques of aberrant length accumulate and fusion is interrupted owing to a complete failure of membrane breakdown. Furthermore, we show that kette interacts genetically with blown fuse (blow) which is known to be required to proceed from prefusion complexes to the formation of the electron dense plaques. Interestingly, a surplus of Kette can replace Blow function during myogenesis. We propose a model in which Dumbfounded/Sticks and stones-dependent cell adhesion is mediated over Rolling Pebbles, Myoblast city, Crk, Blown fuse and Kette, and thus induces membrane fusion.