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Planar cell polarity in the larval epidermis of Drosophila and the role of microtubules.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Pietra, Stefano 
Ng, KangBo 
Lawrence, Peter A 
Casal, José 

Abstract

We investigate planar cell polarity (PCP) in the Drosophila larval epidermis. The intricate pattern of denticles depends on only one system of PCP, the Dachsous/Fat system. Dachsous molecules in one cell bind to Fat molecules in a neighbour cell to make intercellular bridges. The disposition and orientation of these Dachsous-Fat bridges allows each cell to compare two neighbours and point its denticles towards the neighbour with the most Dachsous. Measurements of the amount of Dachsous reveal a peak at the back of the anterior compartment of each segment. Localization of Dachs and orientation of ectopic denticles help reveal the polarity of every cell. We discuss whether these findings support our gradient model of Dachsous activity. Several groups have proposed that Dachsous and Fat fix the direction of PCP via oriented microtubules that transport PCP proteins to one side of the cell. We test this proposition in the larval cells and find that most microtubules grow perpendicularly to the axis of PCP. We find no meaningful bias in the polarity of microtubules aligned close to that axis. We also reexamine published data from the pupal abdomen and find no evidence supporting the hypothesis that microtubular orientation draws the arrow of PCP.

Description

Keywords

Epidermis, Microtubules, Animals, Drosophila, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Immunohistochemistry, Cell Polarity, Larva, Biomarkers, Epidermal Cells

Journal Title

Open Biol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2046-2441
2046-2441

Volume Title

10

Publisher

The Royal Society

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (107060/Z/15/Z)
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