scholarly journals Adherens junction remodeling by the Notch pathway in Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis

2007 ◽  
Vol 177 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muriel Grammont
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Notch Pathway ◽  
Adherens Junction ◽  
Epithelial Morphogenesis ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Cell Morphogenesis ◽  
Follicular Cells ◽  
Epithelial Cadherin ◽  
New Evidence

Identifying genes involved in the control of adherens junction (AJ) remodeling is essential to understanding epithelial morphogenesis. During follicular epithelium development in Drosophila melanogaster, the main body follicular cells (MBFCs) are displaced toward the oocyte and become columnar. Concomitantly, the stretched cells (StCs) become squamous and flatten around the nurse cells. By monitoring the expression of epithelial cadherin and Armadillo, I have discovered that the rate of AJ disassembly between the StCs is affected in follicles with somatic clones mutant for fringe or Delta and Serrate. This results in abnormal StC flattening and delayed MBFC displacement. Additionally, accumulation of the myosin II heavy chain Zipper is delayed at the AJs that require disassembly. Together, my results demonstrate that the Notch pathway controls AJ remodeling between the StCs and that this role is crucial for the timing of MBFC displacement and StC flattening. This provides new evidence that Notch, besides playing a key role in cell differentiation, also controls cell morphogenesis.

scholarly journals Notch Signaling Is Involved in Expression of Thyrocyte Differentiation Markers and Is Down-Regulated in Thyroid Tumors

2008 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 4080-4087 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ferretti ◽  
E. Tosi ◽  
A. Po ◽  
A. Scipioni ◽  
R. Morisi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Notch Pathway ◽  
Human Thyroid ◽  
Thyroid Tumors ◽  
Follicular Cells ◽  
Differentiation Markers ◽  
Thyroid Follicular Cells ◽  
Thyroid Cancer Cells

Context: Notch genes encode receptors for a signaling pathway that regulates cell growth and differentiation in various contexts, but the role of Notch signaling in thyroid follicular cells has never been fully published. Objective: The objective of the study was to characterize the expression of Notch pathway components in thyroid follicular cells and Notch signaling activities in normal and transformed thyrocytes. Design/Setting and Patients: Expression of Notch pathway components and key markers of thyrocyte differentiation was analyzed in murine and human thyroid tissues (normal and tumoral) by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The effects of Notch overexpression in human thyroid cancer cells and FTRL-5 cells were explored with analysis of gene expression, proliferation assays, and experiments involving transfection of a luciferase reporter construct containing human NIS promoter regions. Results: Notch receptors are expressed during the development of murine thyrocytes, and their expression levels parallel those of thyroid differentiation markers. Notch signaling characterized also normal adult thyrocytes and is regulated by TSH. Notch pathway components are variably expressed in human normal thyroid tissue and thyroid tumors, but expression levels are clearly reduced in undifferentiated tumors. Overexpression of Notch-1 in thyroid cancer cells restores differentiation, reduces cell growth rates, and stimulates NIS expression via a direct action on the NIS promoter. Conclusion: Notch signaling is involved in the determination of thyroid cell fate and is a direct regulator of thyroid-specific gene expression. Its deregulation may contribute to the loss of differentiation associated with thyroid tumorigenesis.

Fine structural observation on the oogenesis and vitellogenesis of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiseus sinensis)

Zygote ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hei Nainan ◽  
Yang Ping ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Liu Jinxiong ◽  
Bao Huijun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Special Functions ◽  
Dorsal Surface ◽  
Sibling Relationship ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Follicular Cells ◽  
Cell Organelles ◽  
Rough Endoplasmic Reticula ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticula

SummaryFine structure observations were performed by means of electron microscopy on oogenesis and vitellogenesis and the special functions of follicular cells in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiseus sinensis). Histological examination of the ovary showed a well developed lacunae system containing fine granules, fibres or gelatiniform materials with one or two germinal beds dispersed on the dorsal surface of the ovarian cortex. The process of oogenesis comprised 10 consecutive phases according to the morphology of the yolk platelets, follicular cells and zona pellucida (ZP). Electron microscopy of vitellogenesis revealed some of the mitochondria gradually being transformed into yolk granules. In the advanced stage of vitellogenesis, large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticula, Golgiosomes and other cell organelles that are involved in synthesis and secretion were observed in follicular cells. The ZP was formed by microvilli, thus increasing the absorptive surface of the oocyte and facilitating transport of nutrients from the follicular epithelium to the ooplasm. This study demonstrated that the ovaries of members of the Testudinidae share more features with Archosaurs than with Squamates, indicating that these features were phylogenetically conserved in the Archosauria. The present observations suggest that the accumulation of yolk materials was controlled by the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways as well as by the activity of follicular cells. These results might also support a sibling relationship of the Testudinidae with the Archosauria and not with all extant reptiles.

Patterning of the follicle cell epithelium along the anterior-posterior axis during Drosophila oogenesis

Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (15) ◽  
pp. 2837-2846 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gonzalez-Reyes ◽  
D. St Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Axis Formation ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Drosophila Oogenesis ◽  
Egfr Mutant ◽  
Anterior Posterior ◽  
Anterior Posterior Axis

Gurken signals from the oocyte to the adjacent follicle cells twice during Drosophila oogenesis; first to induce posterior fate, thereby polarising the anterior-posterior axis of the future embryo and then to induce dorsal fate and polarise the dorsal-ventral axis. Here we show that Gurken induces two different follicle cell fates because the follicle cells at the termini of the egg chamber differ in their competence to respond to Gurken from the main-body follicle cells in between. By removing the putative Gurken receptor, Egfr, in clones of cells, we show that Gurken signals directly to induce posterior fate in about 200 cells, defining a terminal competence domain that extends 10–11 cell diameters from the pole. Furthermore, small clones of Egfr mutant cells at the posterior interpret their position with respect to the pole and differentiate as the appropriate anterior cell type. Thus, the two terminal follicle cell populations contain a symmetric prepattern that is independent of Gurken signalling. These results suggest a three-step model for the anterior-posterior patterning of the follicular epithelium that subdivides this axis into at least five distinct cell types. Finally, we show that Notch plays a role in both the specification and patterning of the terminal follicle cells, providing a possible explanation for the defect in anterior-posterior axis formation caused by Notch and Delta mutants.

scholarly journals γCOP Is Required for Apical Protein Secretion and Epithelial Morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS ONE ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. e3241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole C. Grieder ◽  
Emmanuel Caussinus ◽  
David S. Parker ◽  
Kenneth Cadigan ◽  
Markus Affolter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Protein Secretion ◽  
Epithelial Morphogenesis

scholarly journals The Notch pathway regulates both the proliferation and differentiation of follicular cells in the panoistic ovary of Blattella germanica

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 150197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Irles ◽  
Nashwa Elshaer ◽  
Maria-Dolors Piulachs
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Notch Pathway ◽  
Blattella Germanica ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Follicular Cells ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Proliferation And Differentiation ◽  
Ancestral Function ◽  
Main Components

The Notch pathway is an essential regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation during development. Its involvement in insect oogenesis has been examined in insect species with meroistic ovaries, and it is known to play a fundamental role in cell fate decisions and the induction of the mitosis-to-endocycle switch in follicular cells (FCs). This work reports the functions of the main components of the Notch pathway (Notch and its ligands Delta and Serrate) during oogenesis in Blattella germanica , a phylogenetically basal species with panoistic ovary. As is revealed by RNAi-based analyses, Notch and Delta were found to contribute towards maintaining the FCs in an immature, non-apoptotic state. This ancestral function of Notch appears in opposition to the induction of transition from mitosis to endocycle that Notch exerts in Drosophila melanogaster, a change in the Notch function that might be in agreement with the evolution of the insect ovary types. Notch was also shown to play an active role in inducing ovarian follicle elongation via the regulation of the cytoskeleton. In addition, Delta and Notch interactions were seen to determine the differentiation of the posterior population of FCs. Serrate levels were found to be Notch-dependent and are involved in the control of the FC programme, although they would appear to play no crucial role in panoistic ovary oogenesis.

scholarly journals Abelson kinase regulates epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila

2001 ◽  
Vol 155 (7) ◽  
pp. 1185-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. Grevengoed ◽  
Joseph J. Loureiro ◽  
Traci L. Jesse ◽  
Mark Peifer
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Adherens Junctions ◽  
Adherens Junction ◽  
Epithelial Morphogenesis ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Abelson Kinase ◽  
Adherens Junction Protein ◽  
Junction Protein ◽  
Guidance Receptors

Activation of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Abelson (Abl) contributes to the development of leukemia, but the complex roles of Abl in normal development are not fully understood. Drosophila Abl links neural axon guidance receptors to the cytoskeleton. Here we report a novel role for Drosophila Abl in epithelial cells, where it is critical for morphogenesis. Embryos completely lacking both maternal and zygotic Abl die with defects in several morphogenetic processes requiring cell shape changes and cell migration. We describe the cellular defects that underlie these problems, focusing on dorsal closure as an example. Further, we show that the Abl target Enabled (Ena), a modulator of actin dynamics, is involved with Abl in morphogenesis. We find that Ena localizes to adherens junctions of most epithelial cells, and that it genetically interacts with the adherens junction protein Armadillo (Arm) during morphogenesis. The defects of abl mutants are strongly enhanced by heterozygosity for shotgun, which encodes DE-cadherin. Finally, loss of Abl reduces Arm and α-catenin accumulation in adherens junctions, while having little or no effect on other components of the cytoskeleton or cell polarity machinery. We discuss possible models for Abl function during epithelial morphogenesis in light of these data.

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