scholarly journals Establishment of dorsal-ventral polarity of theDrosophilaegg requirescapicuaaction in ovarian follicle cells

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 4553-4562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah J. Goff ◽  
Laura A. Nilson ◽  
Donald Morisato

The dorsal-ventral pattern of the Drosophila egg is established during oogenesis. Epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) signaling within the follicular epithelium is spatially regulated by the dorsally restricted distribution of its presumptive ligand, Gurken. As a consequence, pipe is transcribed in a broad ventral domain to initiate the Toll signaling pathway in the embryo, resulting in a gradient of Dorsal nuclear translocation. We show that expression of pipe RNA requires the action of fettucine (fet) in ovarian follicle cells. Loss of maternal fet activity produces a dorsalized eggshell and embryo. Although similar mutant phenotypes are observed with regulators of Egfr signaling, genetic analysis suggests that fet acts downstream of this event. The fet mutant phenotype is rescued by a transgene of capicua (cic), which encodes an HMG-box transcription factor. We show that Cic protein is initially expressed uniformly in ovarian follicle cell nuclei, and is subsequently downregulated on the dorsal side. Earlier studies described a requirement for cic in repressing zygotic target genes of both the torso and Toll pathways in the embryo. Our experiments reveal that cic controls dorsal-ventral patterning by regulating pipe expression in ovarian follicle cells, before its previously described role in interpreting the Dorsal gradient.

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 735-750
Author(s):  
LUCY M. ANDERSON

A procedure has been developed for separating the oocytes and follicular epithelium-nurse cell complexes making up the vitellogenic ovarian follicle of the Cecropia moth. Both components remained viable during short-term in vitro incubation in female blood. Isolated epithelial cells were found by autoradiography to incorporate tritiated amino acids and to secrete a fixable, non-dialysable labelled material. Isolated oocytes incubated in a blood medium containing this tritiated, dialysed follicle cell product incorporated it in small cortical yolk bodies, presumably by pinocytosis. Quantitative perchloric acid-precipitation and scintillation counting indicated that the amount of labelled material incorporated by the oocytes increased with time. These results provide direct confirmation of a follicle contribution to the yolk. Isolated oocytes were also tested for their ability to incorporate labelled amino acids. Fixable label was observed autoradiographically throughout the oocyte cytoplasm, with the greatest concentration in the cortex, but little appeared in the yolk spheres. The amount of perchloric acid-precipitable amino acid in oocytes incubated in female blood increased with time for up to 2 h and then remained constant or decreased slightly. In medium that had been previously conditioned by follicle cells and dialysed, however, incorporation of labelled amino acid continued for at least 4 h. A possible interpretation of this result is that stimulation of pinocytosis by the epithelial cell products causes increased turnover of cell membrane and demands continued synthesis of new proteins. Labelled female blood proteins were not incorporated into yolk to an appreciable extent by isolated oocytes, even in the presence of follicle cell product. Perhaps extracellular preconcentration, as occurs in the intact follicle, is necessary for effective accrual of blood proteins. The female blood proteins did become associated with the oocyte cortex, however, and exhibited a higher affinity for the oocyte than male blood proteins. Thus preferential adsorption to the oocyte surface may be a component of the selection process in vitellogenesis.


Development ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 124 (19) ◽  
pp. 3871-3880 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Queenan ◽  
A. Ghabrial ◽  
T. Schupbach

The Drosophila gene torpedo/Egfr (top/Egfr) encodes a homolog of the vertebrate Epidermal Growth Factor receptor. This receptor is required several times during the life cycle of the fly for the transmisson of developmental cues. During oogenesis, Top/Egfr activation is required for the establishment of the dorsal/ventral axis of the egg and the embryo. To examine how ectopic Top/Egfr activation affects cell fate determination, we constructed an activated version of the protein. Expression of this activated form (lambda top) in the follicle cells of the ovary induces dorsal cell fates in both the follicular epithelium and the embryo. Different levels of expression resulted in different dorsal follicle cell fates. These dorsal cell fates were expanded in the anterior, but not the posterior, of the egg, even in cases where all the follicle cells covering the oocyte expressed lambda top. The expression of genes known to respond to top/Egfr activation, argos (aos), kekkon1 (kek 1) and rhomboid (rho), was also expanded in the presence of the lambda top construct. When lambda top was expressed in all the follicle cells covering the oocyte, kek 1 and argos expression was induced in follicle cells all along the anterior/posterior axis of the egg chamber. In contrast, rho RNA expression was only activated in the anterior of the egg chamber. These data indicate that the response to Top/Egfr signaling is regulated by an anterior/posterior prepattern in the follicle cells. Expression of lambda top in the entire follicular epithelium resulted in an embryo dorsalized along the entire anterior/posterior axis. Expression of lambda top in anterior or posterior subpopulations of follicle cells resulted in regionally autonomous dorsalization of the embryos. This result indicates that subpopulations of follicle cells along the anterior/posterior axis can respond to Top/Egfr activation independently of one another.


Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (9) ◽  
pp. 2209-2222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. James ◽  
Jennie B. Dorman ◽  
Celeste A. Berg

In Drosophila melanogaster, the Ras signal transduction pathway is the primary effector of receptor tyrosine kinases, which govern diverse developmental programs. During oogenesis, epidermal growth factor receptor signaling through the Ras pathway patterns the somatic follicular epithelium, establishing the dorsoventral asymmetry of eggshell and embryo. Analysis of follicle cell clones homozygous for a null allele of Ras demonstrates that Ras is required cell-autonomously to repress pipe transcription, the critical first step in embryonic dorsoventral patterning. The effects of aberrant pipe expression in Ras mosaic egg chambers can be ameliorated, however, by post-pipe patterning events, which salvage normal dorsoventral polarity in most embryos derived from egg chambers with dorsal Ras clones. The patterned follicular epithelium also determines the final shape of the eggshell, including the dorsal respiratory appendages, which are formed by the migration of two dorsolateral follicle cell populations. Confocal analyses of mosaic egg chambers demonstrate that Ras is required both cell- and non cell-autonomously for morphogenetic behaviors characteristic of dorsal follicle cell migration, and reveal a novel, Ras-dependent pattern of basal E-cadherin localization in dorsal midline follicle cells.


Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (24) ◽  
pp. 5541-5550 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sen ◽  
J.S. Goltz ◽  
M. Konsolaki ◽  
T. Schupbach ◽  
D. Stein

Drosophila embryonic dorsal-ventral polarity originates in the ovarian follicle through the restriction of pipe gene expression to a ventral subpopulation of follicle cells. Pipe, a homolog of vertebrate glycosaminoglycan-modifying enzymes, directs the ventral activation of an extracellular serine proteolytic cascade which defines the ventral side of the embryo. When pipe is expressed uniformly in the follicle cell layer, a strong ventralization of the resulting embryos is observed. Here, we show that this ventralization is dependent on the other members of the dorsal group of genes controlling dorsal-ventral polarity, but not on the state of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor signal transduction pathway which defines egg chamber polarity. Pipe protein expressed in vertebrate tissue culture cells localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Strikingly, coexpression of the dorsal group gene windbeutel in those cells directs Pipe to the Golgi. Similarly, Pipe protein exhibits an altered subcellular localization in the follicle cells of females mutant for windbeutel. Thus, Windbeutel protein enables the correct subcellular distribution of Pipe to facilitate its pattern-forming activity.


Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (12) ◽  
pp. 2965-2975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Peri ◽  
Martin Technau ◽  
Siegfried Roth

The restriction of Pipe, a potential glycosaminoglycan-modifying enzyme, to ventral follicle cells of the egg chamber is essential for dorsoventral axis formation in the Drosophila embryo. pipe repression depends on the TGFα-like ligand Gurken, which activates the Drosophila EGF receptor in dorsal follicle cells. An analysis of Raf mutant clones shows that EGF signalling is required cell-autonomously in all dorsal follicle cells along the anteroposterior axis of the egg chamber to repress pipe. However, the autoactivation of EGF signalling important for dorsal follicle cell patterning has no influence on pipe expression. Clonal analysis shows that also the mirror-fringe cassette suggested to establish a secondary signalling centre in the follicular epithelium is not involved in pipe regulation. These findings support the view that the pipe domain is directly delimited by a long-range Gurken gradient. Pipe induces ventral cell fates in the embryo via activation of the Spätzle/Toll pathway. However, large dorsal patches of ectopic pipe expression induced by Raf clones rarely affect embryonic patterning if they are separated from the endogenous pipe domain. This indicates that potent inhibitory processes prevent pipe dependent Toll activation at the dorsal side of the egg.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1515
Author(s):  
Keiichiro Okuda ◽  
Atsushi Umemura ◽  
Shiori Umemura ◽  
Seita Kataoka ◽  
Hiroyoshi Taketani ◽  
...  

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a serious public health problem associated with metabolic syndrome. The mechanisms by which NASH induces hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. There are no approved drugs for treating NASH or preventing NASH-induced HCC. We used a genetic mouse model in which HCC was induced via high-fat diet feeding. This mouse model strongly resembles human NASH-induced HCC. The natural product honokiol (HNK) was tested for its preventative effects against NASH progression to HCC. Then, to clarify the mechanisms underlying HCC development, human HCC cells were treated with HNK. Human clinical specimens were also analyzed to explore this study’s clinical relevance. We found that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling was hyperactivated in the livers of mice with NASH and human HCC specimens. Inhibition of EGFR signaling by HNK drastically attenuated HCC development in the mouse model. Mechanistically, HNK accelerated the nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and promoted mitogen-inducible gene 6 (MIG6)/ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 (ERRFI1) expression, leading to EGFR degradation and thereby resulting in robust tumor suppression. In human samples, EGFR-positive HCC tissues and their corresponding non-tumor tissues exhibited decreased ERRFI1 mRNA expression. Additionally, GR-positive non-tumor liver tissues displayed lower EGFR expression. Livers from patients with advanced NASH exhibited decreased ERRFI1 expression. EGFR degradation or inactivation represents a novel approach for NASH–HCC treatment and prevention, and the GR–MIG6 axis is a newly defined target that can be activated by HNK and related compounds.


1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 826-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Ilenchuk ◽  
K. G. Davey

A comparison has been made of the effects of juvenile hormone (JH) on the binding characteristics for ouabain of microsomes prepared from brain and from cells of the follicular epithelium surrounding previtellogenic or vitellogenic oocytes in Rhodnius. JH has no effect on the binding of ouabain to brain microsomes and decreases the Kd, but does not alter the Bmax for previtellogenic follicle cells. For vitellogenic follicle cells, Scatchard analysis reveals a curvilinear relationship, which is interpreted as indicating that a new population of JH-sensitive ouabain-binding sites develops as the follicle cell enters vitellogenesis. These results are related to earlier data obtained on the effect of JH on ATPase activity, volume changes in isolated follicle cells, and the development of spaces between the cells of the follicular epithelium.


1963 ◽  
Vol s3-104 (67) ◽  
pp. 297-320
Author(s):  
R. C. KING ◽  
ELIZABETH A. KOCH

Studies are described of the ultrastructure of the follicle cells which invest the oocyte of Drosophila melanogaster at the time of vitelline membrane formation. Of particular interest are organelles made up of endoplasmic reticulum organized into a husk of concentric lamellae which surround lipidal droplets. These epithelial bodies are seen only at the time the vitelline membrane is being formed, and it is assumed therefore that the lipidal material of the epithelial body may be utilized somehow in the fabrication of the vitelline membrane. Cytochemical studies have shown this membrane to contain at least 5 classes of compounds; a protein, two lipids (which may be distinguished by differences in their resistance to extraction by various solvents), and 2 polysaccharides (1 neutral and 1 acidic). Studies were made of vitelline membrane formation in the ovaries of flies homozygous for either of 2 recessive, female-sterile genes (tiny and female sterile). In the case of the ty mutation vitelline membrane material is sometimes secreted between follicle and nurse cells, while in the mutant fes vitelline membrane is observed in rare instances to be secreted between follicle cells and an adjacent layer of tumour cells. In the latter case the vitelline membrane shows altered cytochemical properties. The fact that vitelline membrane can be secreted by follicle cells not adjacent to an oocyte demonstrates that it is the follicle cell rather than the oocyte that plays the major role in the secretion of the precursor material of the vitelline membrane. Subsequently the follicle cells secrete the egg-shell, or chorion, which is subdivided into a dense, compartmented, inner endochorion, and a pale, outer exochorion. A description is given of the ultrastructure of the follicle cells during the secretion of the endochorion and the exochorion. The endochorion contains a protein, a polysaccharide, and a lipid, all of which may be distinguished cytochemically from the vitelline membrane compounds. The exochorion contains large amounts of acidic mucopolysaccharides. Specialized follicle cells form the micropylar apparatus and the chorionic appendages. The formation of the chorion and chorionic appendages is discussed in the light of information gained from abnormalities of the chorions and chorionic appendages seen in ty and fs 2.1 oocytes. Subsequent to the time the egg leaves the ovariole a layer of waterproofing wax is secreted between the vitelline membrane and the chorion.


Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sapir ◽  
R. Schweitzer ◽  
B.Z. Shilo

Previous work has demonstrated a role for the Drosophila EGF receptor (Torpedo/DER) and its ligand, Gurken, in the determination of anterioposterior and dorsoventral axes of the follicle cells and oocyte. The roles of DER in establishing the polarity of the follicle cells were examined further, by following the expression of DER-target genes. One class of genes (e.g. kekon) is induced by the DER pathway at all stages. Broad expression of kekon at the stage in which the follicle cells migrate posteriorly over the oocyte, demonstrates the capacity of the pathway to pattern all follicle cells except the ventral-most rows. This may provide the spatial coordinates for the ventral-most follicle cell fates. A second group of target genes (e.g. rhomboid (rho)) is induced only at later stages of oogenesis, and may require additional inputs by signals emanating from the anterior, stretch follicle cells. The function of Rho was analyzed by ectopic expression in the stretch follicle cells, and shown to induce a non-autonomous dorsalizing activity that is independent of Gurken. Rho thus appears to be involved in processing a DER ligand in the follicle cells, to pattern the egg chamber and allow persistent activation of the DER pathway during formation of the dorsal appendages.


Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (15) ◽  
pp. 2837-2846 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gonzalez-Reyes ◽  
D. St Johnston

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.


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