Analysis of the genetic hierarchy guiding wing vein development in Drosophila

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 785-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Sturtevant ◽  
E. Bier

The Drosophila rhomboid (rho) and Egf-r genes are members of a small group of genes required for the differentiation of various specific embryonic and adult structures. During larval and early pupal development expression of rho in longitudinal vein primordia mediates the localized formation of wing veins. In this paper we investigate the genetic hierarchy guiding vein development, by testing for genetic interactions between rho alleles and a wide variety of wing vein mutations and by examining the pattern of rho expression in mutant developing wing primordia. We identify a small group of wing vein mutants that interact strongly with rho. Examination of rho expression in these and other key vein mutants reveals when vein development first becomes abnormal. Based on these data and on previous genetic analyses of vein formation we present a sequential model for establishment and differentiation of wing veins.

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell E Nicholls ◽  
William M Gelbart

AbstractSignaling molecules of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family contribute to numerous developmental processes in a variety of organisms. However, our understanding of the mechanisms which regulate the activity of and mediate the response to TGF-β family members remains incomplete. The product of the Drosophila decapentaplegic (dpp) locus is a well-characterized member of this family. We have taken a genetic approach to identify factors required for TGF-β function in Drosophila by testing for genetic interactions between mutant alleles of dpp and a collection of chromosomal deficiencies. Our survey identified two deficiencies that act as maternal enhancers of recessive embryonic lethal alleles of dpp. The enhanced individuals die with weakly ventralized phenotypes. These phenotypes are consistent with a mechanism whereby the deficiencies deplete two maternally provided factors required for dpp's role in embryonic dorsal-ventral pattern formation. One of these deficiencies also appears to delete a factor required for dpp function in wing vein formation. These deficiencies remove material from the 54F-55A and 66B-66C polytene chromosomal regions, respectively. As neither of these regions has been previously implicated in dpp function, we propose that each of the deficiencies removes a novel factor or factors required for dpp function.


1996 ◽  
Vol 93 (12) ◽  
pp. 5842-5847 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Yan ◽  
H. Luo ◽  
J. E. Darnell ◽  
C. R. Dearolf

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 144 (4) ◽  
pp. 1545-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon D Schnorr ◽  
Celeste A Berg

In Drosophila, the Ras1 gene is required downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases for correct eye development, embryonic patterning, wing vein formation, and border cell migration. Here we characterize a P-element allele of Ras1, Ras15703, that affects viability, eye morphogenesis, and early and late stages of oogenesis. Flies transheterozgyous for Ras15703 and existing EMS-induced Ras1 alleles are viable and exhibit a range of eye and eggshell defects. Differences in the severity of these phenotypes in different tissues suggest that there are allele-specific effects of Ras1 in development. Analysis of rescue constructs demonstrates that these differential phenotypes are due to loss of function in Ras1 alone and not due to effects on neighboring genes. Females mutant at the Ras1 locus lay eggs with reduced or missing dorsal eggshell structures. We observe dominant interactions between Ras1 mutants and other dorsoventral pathway mutants, including and Egfrtop and gurken. Ras1 is also epistatic to K10. Unlike Egfrtop and gurken mutants, however, Ras1 females are moderately fertile, laying eggs with ventralized eggshells that can hatch normal larvae. These results suggest that Ras1 may have a different requirement in the patterning of the eggshell axis than in the patterning of the embryonic axis during oogenesis.


1993 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarmila Kukalová-Peck ◽  
John F. Lawrence

AbstractA survey is made of the major features of the venation, articulation, and folding in the hind wings of Coleoptera. The documentation is based upon examination of 108 Coleoptera families and 200 specimens, and shown in 101 published figures. Wing veins and articular sclerites are homologized with elements of the neopteran wing groundplan, resulting in wing vein terminology that differs substantially from that generally used by coleopterists. We tabulate the differences between currently used venational nomenclature and the all-pterygote homologous symbols. The use of the neopteran groundplan, combined with the knowledge of the way in which veins evolved, provides many strong characters linked to the early evolutionary radiation of Coleoptera. The order originated with the development of the apical folding of the hind wings under the elytra executed by the radial and medial loop. The loops, which are very complex venational structures, further diversified in four distinctly different ways which mark the highest (suborder) taxa. The remaining venation and the wing articulation have changed with the loops, which formed additional synapomorphies and autapomorphies at the suborder, superfamily, and sometimes even family and tribe levels. Relationships among the four currently recognized suborders of Coleoptera are reexamined using hind wing characters. The number of wing-related apomorphies are 16 in Coleoptera, seven in Archostemata + Adephaga–Myxophaga, four in Adephaga–Myxophaga, seven in Myxophaga, nine in Archostemata, and five in Polyphaga. The following phylogenetic scheme is suggested: Polyphaga [Archostemata (Adephaga + Myxophaga)]. Venational evidence is given to define two major lineages (the hydrophiloid and the eucinetoid) within the suborder Polyphaga. The unique apical wing folding mechanism of beetles is described. Derived types of wing folding are discussed, based mainly on a survey of recent literature. A sister group relationship between Coleoptera and Strepsiptera is supported by hind wing evidence.


1906 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 285-285
Author(s):  
John. A. Grossbeck

It will be noticed that in the preceding paper on Geometridæ, I have used the Comstockian terms of designating wing-veins. Heretofore these have not been used by any writers on this family of moths; in act, they have been very little used by writers in any family. The reason for this is, not that the system is not a good one, but because it is comparatively new. Most of the older writers have become used to the number system, having employed it in all their previous work, and therefore retain it to preserve uniformity, and perhaps make no effort to familarize themselves with the new dispensation.


Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (9) ◽  
pp. 2661-2671 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Fristrom ◽  
P. Gotwals ◽  
S. Eaton ◽  
T.B. Kornberg ◽  
M. Sturtevant ◽  
...  

We have characterized the blistered (bs) locus phenotypically, genetically and developmentally using a set of new bs alleles. Mutant defects range from wings with ectopic veins and intervein blisters to completely ballooned wings where the distinction between vein and intervein is lost. Mosaic analyses show that severe bs alleles behave largely autonomously; homozygous patches having vein-like properties. Developmental analyses were undertaken using light and electron microscopy of wild-type and bs wings as well as confocal microscopy of phalloidin- and laminin-stained preparations. bs defects were first seen early in the prepupal period with the failure of apposition of dorsal and ventral wing epithelia. Correspondingly, during definitive vein/intervein differentiation in the pupal period (18-36 hours after puparium formation), the extent of dorsal/ventral reapposition is reduced in bs wings. Regions of the wing that fail to become apposed differentiate properties of vein cells; i.e. become constricted apically and acquire a laminin-containing matrix basally. To further understand bs function, we examined genetic interactions between various bs alleles and mutants of two genes whose products have known functions in wing development. (i) rhomboid, a component of the EGF-R signalling pathway, is expressed in vein cells and is required for specification of vein cell fate. rhove mutations (lacking rhomboid in wings) suppress the excess vein formation and associated with bs. Conversely, rho expression in prepupal and pupal bs wings is expanded in the regions of increased vein formation. (ii) The integrin genes, inflated and myospheroid, are expressed in intervein cells and are required for adhesion between the dorsal and ventral wing surfaces. Loss of integrin function results in intervein blisters. Integrin mutants interact with bs mutants to increase the frequency of intervein blisters but do not typically enhance vein defects. Both developmental and genetic analyses suggest that the bs product is required during metamorphosis for the initiation of intervein development and the concomitant inhibition of vein development.


2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1789) ◽  
pp. 20140264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osamu Shimmi ◽  
Shinya Matsuda ◽  
Masatsugu Hatakeyama

Insect wings are great resources for studying morphological diversities in nature as well as in fossil records. Among them, variation in wing venation is one of the most characteristic features of insect species. Venation is therefore, undeniably a key factor of species-specific functional traits of the wings; however, the mechanism underlying wing vein formation among insects largely remains unexplored. Our knowledge of the genetic basis of wing development is solely restricted to Drosophila melanogaster . A critical step in wing vein development in Drosophila is the activation of the decapentaplegic (Dpp)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling pathway during pupal stages. A key mechanism is the directional transport of Dpp from the longitudinal veins into the posterior crossvein by BMP-binding proteins, resulting in redistribution of Dpp that reflects wing vein patterns. Recent works on the sawfly Athalia rosae , of the order Hymenoptera, also suggested that the Dpp transport system is required to specify fore- and hindwing vein patterns. Given that Dpp redistribution via transport is likely to be a key mechanism for establishing wing vein patterns, this raises the interesting possibility that distinct wing vein patterns are generated, based on where Dpp is transported. Experimental evidence in Drosophila suggests that the direction of Dpp transport is regulated by prepatterned positional information. These observations lead to the postulation that Dpp generates diversified insect wing vein patterns through species-specific positional information of its directional transport. Extension of these observations in some winged insects will provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying diversified wing venation among insects.


Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 697-711
Author(s):  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Qingxia Zheng ◽  
Xiangyi Lu

Abstract Drosophila Src42A, a close relative of the vertebrate c-Src, has been implicated in the Ras-Mapk signaling cascade. An allele of Src42A, Su(Raf)1, dominantly suppresses the lethality of partial loss-of-function Raf mutations. To isolate genes involved in the same pathway where Src42A functions, we carried out genetic screens for dominant suppressor mutations that prevented Su(Raf)1 from suppressing Raf. Thirty-six mutations representing at least five genetic loci were recovered from the second chromosome. These are Drosophila EGF Receptor (Egfr), rolled, Src42A, and two other new loci, one of which was named semang (sag). During embryogenesis, sag affects the development of the head, tail, and tracheal branches, suggesting that it participates in the pathways of Torso and DFGF-R1 receptor tyrosine kinases. sag also disrupts the embryonic peripheral nervous system. During the development of imaginal discs, sag affects two processes known to require Egfr signaling: the recruitment of photoreceptor cells and wing vein formation. Thus sag functions in several receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-mediated processes. In addition, sag dominantly enhances the phenotypes associated with loss-of-function Raf and rl, but suppresses those of activated Ras1V12 mutation. This work provides the first genetic evidence that both Src42A and sag are modulators of RTK signaling.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document