Planar polarization of Drosophila and vertebrate epithelia

Planar polarity from flies to vertebrates

Planar cell polarity (PCP) has been demonstrated in the epithelium of organisms from flies to humans. Recent research has revealed that the planar organization of cells requires a conserved set of genes, known as the PCP genes. Tbe PCP proteins Frizzled (Fz) and Dishevelled (Dsh) function as key players in PCP signalling. Although Fz and Dsh are also involved in Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signalling, these proteins have independent functions in a non-canonical pathway dedicated to PCP. Reorganization of the cell surface and cytoskeleton is required, and recent work has focused on how cell adhesion molecules (such as Fat, Dachsous and Flamingo) function in this process.

Neuronal Polarity and Trafficking

Among the most morphologically complex cells, neurons are masters of membrane specialization. Nowhere is this more striking than in the division of cellular labor between the axon and the dendrites. In morphology, signaling properties, cytoskeletal organization, and physiological function, axons and dendrites (or more properly, the somatodendritic compartment) are radically different. Such polarization of neurons into domains specialized for either receiving (dendrites) or transmitting (axons) cellular signals provides the underpinning for all neural circuitry. The initial specification of axonal and dendritic identity occurs early in neuronal life, persists for decades, and is manifested by the presence of very different sets of cell surface proteins. Yet, how neuronal polarity is established, how distinct axonal and somatodendritic domains are maintained, and how integral membrane proteins are directed to dendrites or accumulate in axons remain enduring and formidable questions in neuronal cell biology.

Frizzled signalling and cell polarisation in Drosophila and vertebrates

A key aspect of animal development is the appropriate polarisation of different cell types in the right place at the right time. Such polarisation is often precisely coordinated relative to the axes of a tissue or organ, but the mechanisms underlying this coordination are still poorly understood. Nevertheless, genetic analysis of animal development has revealed some of the pathways involved. For example, a non-canonical Frizzled signalling pathway has been found to coordinate cell polarity throughout the insect cuticle, and recent work has implicated an analogous pathway in coordinated polarisation of cells during vertebrate development. This review discusses recent findings regarding non-canonical Frizzled signalling and cell polarisation.

Prickle and Strabismus form a functional complex to generate a correct axis during planar cell polarity signaling

Frizzled (Fz) signaling regulates the establishment of planar cell polarity (PCP). The PCP genes prickle (pk) and strabismus (stbm) are thought to antagonize Fz signaling. We show that they act in the same cell, R4, adjacent to that in which the Fz/PCP pathway is required in the Drosophila eye. We demonstrate that Stbm and Pk interact physically and that Stbm recruits Pk to the cell membrane. Through this interaction, Pk affects Stbm membrane localization and can cause clustering of Stbm. Pk is also known to interact with Dsh and is thought to antagonize Dsh by affecting its membrane localization. Thus our data suggest that the Stbm/Pk complex modulates Fz/Dsh activity, resulting in a symmetry-breaking step during polarity signaling.

Strabismus is asymmetrically localised and binds to Prickle and Dishevelled during Drosophila planar polarity patterning

Planar polarity decisions in the wing of Drosophila involve the assembly of asymmetric protein complexes containing the conserved receptor Frizzled. In this study, we analyse the role of the Van Gogh/strabismus gene in the formation of these complexes and cell polarisation. We find that the Strabismus protein becomes asymmetrically localised to the proximal edge of cells. In the absence of strabismus activity, the planar polarity proteins Dishevelled and Prickle are mislocalised in the cell. We show that Strabismus binds directly to Dishevelled and Prickle and is able to recruit them to membranes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the putative PDZ-binding motif at the C terminus of Strabismus is not required for its function. We propose a two-step model for assembly of Frizzledcontaining asymmetric protein complexes at cell boundaries. First, Strabismus acts together with Frizzled and the atypical cadherin Flamingo to mediate apicolateral recruitment of planar polarity proteins including Dishevelled and Prickle. In the second phase, Dishevelled and Prickle are required for these proteins to become asymmetrically distributed on the proximodistal axis.

Planar polarity and actin dynamics in the epidermis of Drosophila

Dorsal closure is a morphogenetic process involving the coordinated convergence of two epithelial sheets to enclose the Drosophila melanogaster embryo. Specialized populations of cells at the edges of each epithelial sheet, the dorsal-most epidermal cells, emit actin-based processes that are essential for the proper enclosure of the embryo. Here we show that actin dynamics at the leading edge is preceded by a planar polarization of the dorsal-most epidermal cells associated with a reorganization of the cytoskeleton. An important consequence of this planar polarization is the formation of actin-nucleating centres at the leading edge, which are important in the dynamics of actin. We show that Wingless (Wg) signalling and Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) signalling have overlapping but different roles in these events.

Planar cell polarity in the inner ear: how do hair cells acquire their oriented structure?

Sensory hair cells in the ear and lateral line have an asymmetrical hair-bundle structure, essential for their function as directional mechanotransducers. We examine four questions: (1) how does the planar asymmetry of the individual hair cell originate? (2) How are the orientations of neighboring hair cells coordinated? (3) How is the orientation of a group of hair cells controlled in relation to the ear as a whole? (4) How does the initial cell asymmetry lead to creation of the asymmetrical hair bundle? Studies of the development of hairs and bristles in Drosophila, combined with genetic data from vertebrates, suggest that the answer to questions (1) and (2) lies in asymmetries that develop at the cell cortex and at cell-cell junctions, generated by products of a set of primary planar cell polarity genes, including the transmembrane receptor Frizzled. A separate and largely independent mechanism controls asymmmetric allocation of cell fate determinants such as Numb at mitosis, in Drosophila and possibly in the ear also. Little is known about long-range signals that might orient hair cells globally in the ear, but progress has been made in identifying a set of genes responsible for read-out of the primary polarity specification. These genes, in flies and vertebrates, provide a link to assembly of the polarized cytoskeleton; myosin VIIA appears to belong in this group. The mechanism creating the staircase pattern of stereocilium lengths is unknown, but could involve regulation of stereocilium growth by Ca(2+) ions entering via transduction channels.

Planar cell polarization: do the same mechanisms regulate Drosophila tissue polarity and vertebrate gastrulation?

Many types of cell show different aspects of polarization. Epithelial cells display a ubiquitous apical-basolateral polarity but often are also polarized in the plane of the epithelium - a feature referred to as 'planar cell polarity' (PCP). In Drosophila all adult epithelial cuticular structures are polarized within the plane, whereas in vertebrates examples of PCP include aspects of skin development, features of the inner ear epithelium, and the morphology and behavior of mesenchymal cells undergoing the morphogenetic movement called 'convergent extension'. Recent advances in the study of PCP establishment are beginning to unravel the molecular mechanisms that underlie this aspect of cell and tissue differentiation. Here I discuss new developments in our molecular understanding of PCP in Drosophila and compare them towhat is known about the regulation of convergent extension in vertebrates.

Planar cell polarization requires Widerborst, a B′ regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A

We have identified widerborst (wdb), a B′ regulatory subunit of PP2A, as a conserved component of planar cell polarization mechanisms in both Drosophila and in zebrafish. In Drosophila, wdb acts at two steps during planar polarization of wing epithelial cells. It is required to organize tissue polarity proteins into proximal and distal cortical domains, thus determining wing hair orientation. It is also needed to generate the polarized membrane outgrowth that becomes the wing hair. Widerborst activates the catalytic subunit of PP2A and localizes to the distal side of a planar microtubule web that lies at the level of apical cell junctions. This suggests that polarized PP2A activation along the planar microtubule web is important for planar polarization. In zebrafish, two wdb homologs are required for convergent extension during gastrulation, supporting the conjecture that Drosophila planar cell polarization and vertebrate gastrulation movements are regulated by similar mechanisms.

Convergent extension: the molecular control of polarized cell movement during embryonic development

During development, vertebrate embryos undergo dramatic changes in shape. The lengthening and narrowing of a field of cells, termed convergent extension, contributes to a variety of morphogenetic processes. Focusing on frogs and fish, we review the different cellular mechanisms and the well-conserved signaling pathways that underlie this process.

Prickle mediates feedback amplification to generate asymmetric planar cell polarity signaling

Planar cell polarity signaling in Drosophila requires the receptor Frizzled and the cytoplasmic proteins Dishevelled and Prickle. From initial, symmetric subcellular distributions in pupal wing cells, Frizzled and Dishevelled become highly enriched at the distal portion of the cell cortex. We describe a Prickle-dependent intercellular feedback loop that generates asymmetric Frizzled and Dishevelled localization. In the absence of Prickle, Frizzled and Dishevelled remain symmetrically distributed. Prickle localizes to the proximal side of pupal wing cells and binds the Dishevelled DEP domain, inhibiting Dishevelled membrane localization and antagonizing Frizzled accumulation. This activity is linked to Frizzled activity on the adjacent cell surface. Prickle therefore functions in a feedback loop that amplifies differences between Frizzled levels on adjacent cell surfaces.

The atypical cadherin Flamingo links Frizzled and Notch signaling in planar polarity establishment in the Drosophila eye

Planar cell polarity is established in the Drosophila eye through distinct fate specification of photoreceptors R3 and R4 by a two-tiered mechanism employing Fz and Notch signaling: Fz signaling specifies R3 and induces Dl to activate Notch in R4. We show that the atypical cadherin Flamingo (Fmi) plays critical, but distinct, roles in both R3 and R4. Fmi is first enriched at equatorial cell borders of R3/R4, positively interacting with Fz/Dsh. Subsequently, Fmi is upregulated in R4 by Notch and functions to downregulate Dl expression by antagonizing Fz signaling. This in turn amplifies and enforces the initial Fz-signaling bias in the R3/R4 pair. Our results reveal differences in the planar cell polarity genetic circuitry between the eye and the wing.

Development of the zebrafish inner ear

Abstract Recent years have seen a renaissance of investigation into the mechanisms of inner ear development. Genetic analysis of zebrafish has contributed significantly to this endeavour, with several dramatic advances reported over the past year or two. Here, we review the major findings from recent work in zebrafish. Several cellular and molecular mechanisms have been elucidated, including the signaling pathways controlling induction of the otic placode, morphogenesis and patterning of the otic vesicle, and elaboration of functional attributes of inner ear.

Regulation of Frizzled by fat-like cadherins during planar polarity signaling in the Drosophila compound eye

Planar polarity is evident in the coordinated orientation of ommatidia in the Drosophila eye. This process requires that the R3 photoreceptor precursor of each ommatidium have a higher level of Frizzled signaling than its neighboring R4 precursor. We show that two cadherin superfamily members, Fat and Dachsous, and the transmembrane/secreted protein Four-jointed play important roles in this process. Our data support a model in which the bias of Frizzled signaling between the R3/R4 precursors results from higher Fat function in the precursor cell closer to the equator, which becomes R3. We also provide evidence that positional information regulating Fat action is provided by graded expression of Dachsous across the eye and the action of Four-jointed, which is expressed in an opposing expression gradient and appears to modulate Dachsous function.

Differential expression of the seven-pass transmembrane cadherin genes Celsr1-3 and distribution of the Celsr2 protein during mouse development

Drosophila Flamingo (Fmi) is an evolutionally conserved seven-pass transmembrane receptor of the cadherin superfamily. Fmi plays multiple roles in patterning neuronal processes and epithelial planar cell polarity. To explore the in vivo roles of Fmi homologs in mammals, we previously cloned one of the mouse homologs, mouse flamingo1/Celsr2. Here, we report the results of our study of its embryonic and postnatal expression patterns together with those of two other paralogs, Celsr1 and Celsr3. Celsr1-3 expression was initiated broadly in the nervous system at early developmental stages, and each paralog showed characteristic expression patterns in the developing CNS. These genes were also expressed in several other organs, including the cochlea, where hair cells develop planar polarity, the kidney, and the whisker. The Celsr2 protein was distributed at intercellular boundaries in the whisker and on processes of neuronal cells such as hippocampal pyramidal cells, Purkinje cells, and olfactory neurons. Celsr2 is mapped to a distal region of the mouse chromosome 3. We discussed possible functions of seven-pass transmembrane cadherins in mouse development.

Winging it--actin on the fly

How actin dynamics might be regulated to generate specific cellular structures during development remains something of a mystery. New insights may be gained from the recent identification of a conserved cofilin phosphatase, Slingshot, which modulates actin dynamics to help control Drosophila wing hair morphogenesis.

Usher syndrome: from genetics to pathogenesis

Usher syndrome (USH) is defined by the association of sensorineural deafness and visual impairment due to retinitis pigmentosa. The syndrome has three distinct clinical subtypes, referred to as USH1, USH2, and USH3. Each subtype is genetically heterogeneous, and 12 loci have been detected so far. Four genes have been identified, namely, USH1B, USH1C, USH1D, and USH2A. USH1B, USH1C, and USH1D encode an unconventional myosin (myosin VIIA), a PDZ domain-containing protein (harmonin), and a cadherin-like protein (cadherin-23), respectively. Mutations of these genes cause primary defects of the sensory cells in the inner ear, and probably also in the retina. In the inner ear, the USH1 genes, I propose, are involved in the same signaling pathway, which may control development and/or maintenance of the hair bundles of sensory cells via an adhesion force (a) at the junctions between these cells and supporting cells and (b) at the level of the lateral links that interconnect the stereocilia. In contrast, the molecular pathogenesis of USH2A, which is owing to a defect of a novel extracellular matrix protein, is likely to be different from that of USH1.

Wnt/Frizzled activation of Rho regulates vertebrate gastrulation and requires a novel Formin homology protein Daam1

Wnt signaling via the Frizzled (Fz) receptor controls cell polarity and movement during development, but the molecular nature of Wnt/Fz polarity signal transduction remains poorly defined. Here we report that in human cells and during Xenopus embryogenesis, Wnt/Fz signaling activates the small GTPase Rho, a key regulator of cytoskeleton architecture. Wnt/Fz activation of Rho requires the cytoplasmic protein Dishevelled (Dvl) and a novel Formin homology protein Daam1. Daam1 binds to both Dvl and Rho, and mediates Wnt-induced Dvl-Rho complex formation. Inhibition or depletion of Daam1 prevents Wnt/Fz activation of Rho and of Xenopus gastrulation, but not of beta-catenin signaling. Our study illustrates a molecular pathway from Wnt/Fz signaling to Rho activation in cell polarity signal transduction.

four-jointed interacts with dachs, abelson and enabled and feeds back onto the Notch pathway to affect growth and segmentation in the Drosophila leg

The molecular basis of segmentation and regional growth during morphogenesis of Drosophila legs is poorly understood. We show that four-jointed is not only required for these processes, but also can direct ectopic growth and joint initiation when its normal pattern of expression is disturbed. These effects are non-autonomous, consistent with our demonstration of both transmembrane and secreted forms of the protein in vivo. The similarities between four-jointed and Notch phenotypes led us to further investigate the relationships between these pathways. Surprisingly, we find that although four-jointed expression is regulated downstream of Notch activation, four-jointed can induce expression of the Notch ligands, Serrate and Delta, and may thereby participate in a feedback loop with the Notch signaling pathway. We also show that four-jointed interacts with abelson, enabled and dachs, which leads us to suggest that one target of four-jointed signaling is the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, four-jointed may bridge the gap between the signals that direct morphogenesis and those that carry it out.

The receptor tyrosine phosphatase Dlar and integrins organize actin filaments in the Drosophila follicular epithelium

BACKGROUND

Regulation of actin structures is instrumental in maintaining proper cytoarchitecture in many tissues. In the follicular epithelium of Drosophila ovaries, a system of actin filaments is coordinated across the basal surface of cells encircling the oocyte. These filaments have been postulated to regulate oocyte elongation; however, the molecular components that control this cytoskeletal array are not yet understood.

RESULTS

We find that the receptor tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP) Dlar and integrins are involved in organizing basal actin filaments in follicle cells. Mutations in Dlar and the common beta-integrin subunit mys cause a failure in oocyte elongation, which is correlated with a loss of proper actin filament organization. Immunolocalization shows that early in oogenesis Dlar is polarized to membranes where filaments terminate but becomes generally distributed late in development, at which time beta-integrin and Enabled specifically associate with actin filament terminals. Rescue experiments point to the early period of polar Dlar localization as critical for its function. Furthermore, clonal analysis shows that loss of Dlar or mys influences actin filament polarity in wild-type cells that surround mutant tissues, suggesting that communication between neighboring cells regulates cytoskeletal organization. Finally, we find that two integrin alpha subunits encoded by mew and if are required for proper oocyte elongation, implying that multiple components of the ECM are instructive in coordinating actin fiber polarity.

CONCLUSIONS

Dlar cooperates with integrins to coordinate actin filaments at the basal surface of the follicular epithelium. To our knowledge, this is the first direct demonstration of an RPTP's influence on the actin cytoskeleton.

The ankyrin repeat protein Diego mediates Frizzled-dependent planar polarization

During planar polarization of the Drosophila wing epithelium, the homophilic adhesion molecule Flamingo localizes to proximal/distal cell boundaries in response to Frizzled signaling; perturbing Frizzled signaling alters Flamingo distribution, many cell diameters distant, by a mechanism that is not well understood. This work identifies a tissue polarity gene, diego, that comprises six ankyrin repeats and colocalizes with Flamingo at proximal/distal boundaries. Diego is specifically required for polarized accumulation of Flamingo and drives ectopic clustering of Flamingo when overexpressed. Our data suggest that Frizzled acts through Diego to promote local clustering of Flamingo, and that clustering of Diego and Flamingo in one cell nonautonomously propagates to others.

Expression of Pcdh15 in the inner ear, nervous system and various epithelia of the developing embryo

We previously determined that Protocadherin 15 (Pcdh15) is associated with the Ames waltzer mutation in the mouse. Here we describe where the Pcdh15 gene is expressed at specific times during mouse development using RNA in situ hybridization. The expression of Pcdh15 is found in the sensory epithelium in the developing inner ear, in Rathke's pouch, and broadly throughout the brain with the highest level of expression being detected at embryonic day 16 (E16). Pcdh15 transcripts are also found in the developing eye, dorsal root ganglion, and the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, floor plate and ependymal cells adjacent to the neural canal. Additionally, expression is also detected in the developing glomeruli of the kidney, surface of the tongue, vibrissae, bronchi of the lung, and in the epithelium of the olfactory apparatus, gut and lung.

Asymmetric colocalization of Flamingo, a seven-pass transmembrane cadherin, and Dishevelled in planar cell polarization

The Drosophila wing provides an appropriate model system for studying genetic programming of planar cell polarity (PCP) [1-4]. Each wing cell respects the proximodistal (PD) axis; i.e., it localizes an assembly of actin bundles to its distalmost vertex and produces a single prehair. This PD polarization requires the redistribution of Flamingo (Fmi), a seven-pass transmembrane cadherin, to proximal/distal cell boundaries; otherwise, the cell mislocalizes the prehair [5]. Achievement of the biased Fmi pattern depends on two upstream components in the PCP signaling pathway: Frizzled (Fz), a receptor for a hypothetical polarity signal, and an intracellular protein, Dishevelled (Dsh) [6-8]. Here, we visualized endogenous Dsh in the developing wing. A portion of Dsh colocalized with Fmi, and the distributions of both proteins were interdependent. Furthermore, Fz controlled the association of Dsh with cell boundaries, which association was correlated with the presence of hyperphosphorylated forms of Dsh. Our results, together with a recent study on Fz distribution [9], support the possibility that Fz, Dsh, and Fmi constitute a signaling complex and that its restricted localization directs cytoskeletal reorganization only at the distal cell edge.

Cellular mechanisms in the development of the Drosophila arista

Epidermal cells of Drosophila form a variety of polarized structures during their differentiation. These polarized structures include epidermal hairs, the shafts of sensory bristles, larval denticles and the arista laterals. The arista is the terminal segment of the antenna and consists of a central core and a series of lateral extensions. Here we describe the cellular mechanisms involved in the development of the arista and the morphogenesis of the laterals. We found that the development of the arista is a complex process that involves coordinated cell shape changes, elongation of the central core, apoptosis, nuclear migration, the formation of polyploid cells and the outgrowth of the laterals. This developmental program is highly conserved in the development of the arista in the housefly (Musca domestica). Altering arista cell number in Drosophila by stimulating or inhibiting apoptosis results in an altered number of laterals. Interestingly, the increased number of laterals that result from the inhibition of apoptosis in Drosophila results in an arista whose morphology is reminiscent of the Musca arista. Previous experiments have shown that both the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons have important functions in the cellular morphogenesis of hairs and bristles. Inhibitor studies reported here show that this is also the case for the formation of the arista laterals, arguing that the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons have similar functions in the morphogenesis of all of these cell types. We conclude that the arista laterals are a valuable complementary cell type system for studying the morphogenesis of polarized cellular extensions in Drosophila.

Drosophila puckered regulates Fos/Jun levels during follicle cell morphogenesis

puckered (puc) encodes a VH1-like phosphatase that down-regulates Jun kinase (JNK) activity during dorsal closure of the Drosophila embryo. We report a role for puc in follicle cell morphogenesis during oogenesis. puc mRNA accumulates preferentially in the centripetally migrating follicle cells and cells of the elongating dorsal appendages. Proper levels of Puc activity in the follicle cells are critical for the production of a normal egg: either reduced or increased Puc activity result in incomplete nurse cell dumping and aberrant dorsal appendages. Phenotypes associated with puc mutant follicle cells include altered DE-cadherin expression in the follicle cells and a failure of nurse cell dumping to coordinate with dorsal appendage elongation, leading to the formation of cup-shaped egg chambers. The JNK pathway target A251-lacZ showed cell-type-specific differences in its regulation by puc and by the small GTPase DRac1. puc mutant cells displayed region-specific ectopic expression of the A251-lacZ enhancer trap whereas overexpression of a transgene encoding Puc was sufficient to suppress lacZ expression in a cell autonomous fashion. Strikingly, decreased or increased puc function leads to a corresponding increase or decrease, respectively, of Fos and Jun protein levels. Taken together, these data indicate that puc modulates gene expression responses by antagonizing a Ρ GTPase signal transduction pathway that stabilizes the AP-1 transcription factor. Consistent with this, overexpression of a dominant negative DRac1 resulted in lower levels of Fos/Jun.

Drosophila Rho-associated kinase (Drok) links Frizzled-mediated planar cell polarity signaling to the actin cytoskeleton

Frizzled (Fz) and Dishevelled (Dsh) are components of an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that regulates planar cell polarity. How this signaling pathway directs asymmetric cytoskeletal reorganization and polarized cell morphology remains unknown. Here, we show that Drosophila Rho-associated kinase (Drok) works downstream of Fz/Dsh to mediate a branch of the planar polarity pathway involved in ommatidial rotation in the eye and in restricting actin bundle formation to a single site in developing wing cells. The primary output of Drok signaling is regulating the phosphorylation of nonmuscle myosin regulatory light chain, and hence the activity of myosin II. Drosophila myosin VIIA, the homolog of the human Usher Syndrome 1B gene, also functions in conjunction with this newly defined portion of the Fz/Dsh signaling pathway to regulate the actin cytoskeleton.

DRacGAP, a novel Drosophila gene, inhibits EGFR/Ras signalling in the developing imaginal wing disc

We have identified a novel Drosophila gene, DRacGAP, which behaves as a negative regulator of Ρ-family GTPases DRac1 and DCdc42. Reduced function of DRacGAP or increased expression of DRac1 in the wing imaginal disc cause similar effects on vein and sensory organ development and cell proliferation. These effects result from enhanced activity of the EGFR/Ras signalling pathway. We find that in the wing disc, DRac1 enhances EGFR/Ras-dependent activation of MAP Kinase in the prospective veins. Interestingly, DRacGAP expression is negatively regulated by the EGFR/Ras pathway in these regions. During vein formation, local DRacGAP repression would ensure maximal activity of Rac and, in turn, of Ras pathways in vein territories. Additionally, maximal expression of DRacGAP at the vein/intervein boundaries would help to refine the width of the veins. Hence, control of DRacGAP expression by the EGFR/Ras pathway is a previously undescribed feedback mechanism modulating the intensity and/or duration of its signalling during Drosophila development.

The tricornered gene, which is required for the integrity of epidermal cell extensions, encodes the Drosophila nuclear DBF2-related kinase

During their differentiation epidermal cells of Drosophila form a rich variety of polarized structures. These include the epidermal hairs that decorate much of the adult cuticular surface, the shafts of the bristle sense organs, the lateral extensions of the arista, and the larval denticles. These cuticular structures are produced by cytoskeletal-mediated outgrowths of epidermal cells. Mutations in the tricornered gene result in the splitting or branching of all of these structures. Thus, tricornered function appears to be important for maintaining the integrity of the outgrowths. tricornered mutations however do not have major effects on the growth or shape of these cellular extensions. Inhibiting actin polymerization in differentiating cells by cytochalasin D or latrunculin A treatment also induces the splitting of hairs and bristles, suggesting that the actin cytoskeleton might be a target of tricornered. However, the drugs also result in short, fat, and occasionally malformed hairs and bristles. The data suggest that the function of the actin cytoskeleton is important for maintaining the integrity of cellular extensions as well as their growth and shape. Thus, if tricornered causes the splitting of cellular extensions by interacting with the actin cytoskeleton it likely does so in a subtle way. Consistent with this possibility we found that a weak tricornered mutant is hypersensitive to cytochalasin D. We have cloned the tricornered gene and found that it encodes the Drosophila NDR kinase. This is a conserved ser/thr protein kinase found in Caenorhabditis elegans and humans that is related to a number of kinases that have been found to be important in controlling cell structure and proliferation.

Vezatin, a novel transmembrane protein, bridges myosin VIIA to the cadherin-catenins complex

Defects in myosin VIIA are responsible for deafness in the human and mouse. The role of this unconventional myosin in the sensory hair cells of the inner ear is not yet understood. Here we show that the C-terminal FERM domain of myosin VIIA binds to a novel transmembrane protein, vezatin, which we identified by a yeast two-hybrid screen. Vezatin is a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell-cell junctions, where it interacts with both myosin VIIA and the cadherin-catenins complex. Its recruitment to adherens junctions implicates the C-terminal region of alpha-catenin. Taken together, these data suggest that myosin VIIA, anchored by vezatin to the cadherin-catenins complex, creates a tension force between adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton that is expected to strengthen cell-cell adhesion. In the inner ear sensory hair cells vezatin is, in addition, concentrated at another membrane-membrane interaction site, namely at the fibrillar links interconnecting the bases of adjacent stereocilia. In myosin VIIA-defective mutants, inactivity of the vezatin-myosin VIIA complex at both sites could account for splaying out of the hair cell stereocilia.

Cell size and the morphogenesis of wing hairs in Drosophila

Almost all epidermal cells on the Drosophila wing produce a single cuticular hair. This is formed in the pupae from a microvillus-like cell projection called the prehair. Previous experiments have shown the existence of two mechanisms that ensure that only a single hair is made. One is the restriction of prehair initiation to a small subregion of the cell by the action of the frizzled tissue polarity pathway. The second is a system that ensures the integrity of the prehair. Mutations and drugs that inhibit the actin cytoskeleton lead to the splitting of a single prehair into multiple smaller hairs. We report that large polyploid cells produce multiple hairs both because they form multiple independent prehair initiation centers and because the larger than normal hairs these cells produce have a tendency to split. We show that reducing cell size by starvation partially suppresses the phenotype seen in polyploid cells and that increasing apical cell surface area by mechanical stretching also results in the formation of multiple prehair initiation centers. We also show that the frizzled tissue polarity pathway is functional in large polyploid cells even if it is unable to restrict prehair initiation to a small region of the cell. We conclude that both of these cellular systems are limited in their ability to scale to accommodate larger cell size.

Jun mediates Frizzled-induced R3/R4 cell fate distinction and planar polarity determination in the Drosophila eye

Jun acts as a signal-regulated transcription factor in many cellular decisions, ranging from stress response to proliferation control and cell fate induction. Genetic interaction studies have suggested that Jun and JNK signaling are involved in Frizzled (Fz)-mediated planar polarity generation in the Drosophila eye. However, simple loss-of-function analysis of JNK signaling components did not show comparable planar polarity defects. To address the role of Jun and JNK in Fz signaling, we have used a combination of loss- and gain-of-function studies. Like Fz, Jun affects the bias between the R3/R4 photoreceptor pair that is critical for ommatidial polarity establishment. Detailed analysis of jun(−) clones reveals defects in R3 induction and planar polarity determination, whereas gain of Jun function induces the R3 fate and associated polarity phenotypes. We find also that affecting the levels of JNK signaling by either reduction or overexpression leads to planar polarity defects. Similarly, hypomorphic allelic combinations and overexpression of the negative JNK regulator Puckered causes planar polarity eye phenotypes, establishing that JNK acts in planar polarity signaling. The observation that Dl transcription in the early R3/R4 precursor cells is deregulated by Jun or Hep/JNKK activation, reminiscent of the effects seen with Fz overexpression, suggests that Jun is one of the transcription factors that mediates the effects of fz in planar polarity generation.

A family of heptahelical receptors with adhesion-like domains: a marriage between two super families

Some G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are regulators of cell adhesion via inside-out effector signaling pathways. Such is the case with leukocyte chemokine receptors which stimulate intracellular second messenger pathways resulting in upregulation of integrin adhesion to ligands present in the extracellular matrix or on opposing cells resulting in chemotaxis and extravasation during immune surveillance. Remarkably, a family of GPCRs has recently been discovered that may themselves be triggered by cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions. Along with a canonical heptahelical membrane-spanning region, these intriguing proteins contain putative cell adhesion-like modules. The evidence to date suggests that they are involved in lymphocyte activation, macrophage biology, synaptic exocytosis and planar polarization during organogenesis.

Spiny legs and prickled bodies: new insights and complexities in planar polarity establishment

Epithelial cells can be polarized along two axes, namely in the apical-basolateral axis and in the horizontal plane of the epithelium. Vertebrate examples of planar polarization include aspects of skin development or features in internal organs, such as the inner ear epithelium. In insects like Drosophila, adult cuticular structures show planar polarization. Studies on planar polarity in Drosophila have identified several genes that regulate this process. Notably, the Frizzled receptor and its signaling cascade provide an entry point to the molecular aspects of planar polarization. A recent study by Gubb et al.((1)) of the prickle locus, which encodes a cytoplasmic protein with three LIM domains, provides new insights and raises several interesting questions that can now be addressed. Pk might serve a scaffolding function involved in assembling a protein complex required for planar polarity establishment.

Identification of EPS8 as a Dvl1-associated molecule

Dishevelled (Dsh) is involved in both Wingless (Wg) and Frizzled (Fz) signaling pathways. To further determine the function of Dsh, we have performed yeast two-hybrid screening and isolated several genes encoding the molecules associated with the PDZ domain of Dvl1, one of the murine Dsh homologs. During the screening, we found that EPS8, which is a substrate for activated EGF receptor (EGFR), specifically interacted with Dvl1. This interaction was also confirmed in vitro. Through transfection studies, we observed the mutual action between Dvl1 and EPS8. Dvl1 was hyperphosphorylated in the presence of EPS8, whereas the tyrosine phosphorylation of EPS8 by activated EGFR was inhibited in the presence of Dvl1. Immunohistochemistry showed that Dvl1 and EPS8 expression overlap in particular tissues during organogenesis. These results indicate that interaction between Dvl1 and receptor tyrosine kinase signal plays certain roles in developmental events.

Genetic analysis of cadherin function in animal morphogenesis

Cadherins are a superfamily of Ca(2+)-dependent adhesion molecules found in metazoans. Several classes of cadherins have been defined from which two - classic cadherins and Fat-like cadherins - have been studied by genetic approaches. Recent in vivo studies in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila show that cadherins play an active role in a number of distinct morphogenetic processes. Classic cadherins function in epithelial polarization, epithelial sheet or tube fusion, cell migration, cell sorting, and axonal patterning. Fat-like cadherins are required for epithelial morphogenesis, proliferation control, and epithelial planar polarization.

Flamingo, a seven-pass transmembrane cadherin, regulates planar cell polarity under the control of Frizzled

We identified a seven-pass transmembrane receptor of the cadherin superfamily, designated Flamingo (Fmi), localized at cell-cell boundaries in the Drosophila wing. In the absence of Fmi, planar polarity was distorted. Before morphological polarization of wing cells along the proximal-distal (P-D) axis, Fmi was redistributed predominantly to proximal and distal cell edges. This biased localization of Fmi appears to be driven by an imbalance of the activity of Frizzled (Fz) across the proximal/distal cell boundary. These results, together with phenotypes caused by ectopic expression of fz and fmi, suggest that cells acquire the P-D polarity by way of the Fz-dependent boundary localization of Fmi.

The balance between isoforms of the prickle LIM domain protein is critical for planar polarity in Drosophila imaginal discs

The tissue polarity mutants in Drosophila include a set of conserved gene products that appear to be involved in the control of cytoskeletal architecture. Here we show that the tissue polarity gene prickle (pk) encodes a protein with a triple LIM domain and a novel domain that is present in human, murine, and Caenorhabditis elegans homologs which we designate PET. Three transcripts have been identified, pk, pkM, and sple, encoding 93-, 100-, and 129-kD conceptual proteins, respectively. The three transcripts span 70 kb and share 6 exons that contain the conserved domains. The pk and sple transcripts are expressed with similar tissue-specific patterns but have qualitatively different activities. The phenotypes of pk mutants, and transgenic flies in which the different isoforms are overexpressed show that the balance between Pk and Sple is critical for the specification of planar polarity. In addition, these phenotypes suggest a tessellation model in which the alignment of wing hairs is dependent on cell shape and need not reflect fine-grained positional information. Lack of both pk and sple transcripts gives a phenotype affecting the whole body surface that is similar to those of dishevelled and frizzled (fz) suggesting a functional relationship between pk and fz signaling.

The role of rho family GTPases in development: lessons from Drosophila melanogaster

It has become increasingly clear in the last few years that the Rho family GTPases regulate cytoskeleton rearrangements that are essential for a variety of morphogenetic events associated with the development of multicellular organisms. In particular, Drosophila has provided an excellent in vivo system for deciphering the signaling pathways mediated by Rho GTPases, as well as establishing the role of these pathways in numerous developmental processes. Continued use of this system will undoubtedly lead to the identification of additional Rho signalling components and information regarding the function and organization of the Rho signaling pathways in tissue morphogenesis. The striking similarity between Drosophila and mammalian Rho signaling components identified thus far indicates that the Rho pathways are highly conserved in evolution. Therefore, the findings from the Drosophila system can be extrapolated to higher organisms, including humans. Combined with the rapid progress in the human and Drosophila genome projects, these findings should contribute greatly to our understanding of mammalian Rho GTPase signaling pathways and their roles in normal development and pathological conditions.

Genetics of epithelial polarity and pattern in the Drosophila retina

This review is focused on recent advances in our understanding of the development of coordinated cell polarity, through experiments on the Drosophila compound eye. Each eye facet (or "ommatidium") contains a set of eight photoreceptor cells, placed so that their rhabdomeres form an asymmetric trapezoid. The array of ommatidia is organized so that these trapezoids are aligned in two mirror-image fields, dorsal and ventral to the eye midline (or "equator"). The development of this pattern depends on two systems of positional information that inform the cluster of cells that will form an ommatidium of anterior/posterior (a/p) and dorsal/ventral (d/v) direction. The former (a/p) is encoded by a progressive wave of development (the morphogenetic furrow). The latter (d/v) involves molecules known to act in tissue polarity in other organs and organisms. Our understanding of the function of these molecules rests not only on their mutant phenotypes, biochemistry, and expression patterns, but also on the spatial effects when mutant patches of cells are made (genetic mosaics).

Rho GTPases in development

It is becoming increasingly clear that the complex family of Rho-related GTPases and their associated regulators and targets are essential mediators of a variety of morphogenetic events required for normal development of multicellular organisms. It is worth noting that the results obtained thus far indicate that the Rho family proteins are largely associated with the regulation of morphogenesis, as opposed to other essential developmental processes such as cell proliferation and cell fate determination. Accumulating evidence also suggests that the role of these proteins and their associated signaling pathways in morphogenesis is in many, but not necessarily all, cases related to their ability to affect the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, these in vivo observations have served to corroborate similar findings in numerous cultured cell studies. As described, the power of genetics, particularly in Drosophila and C. elegans, has been critical to the recent identification and functional characterization of several Rho family signaling components. Moreover, evidence suggests that the highly evolutionarily conserved structures of many of these proteins translate into conservation of function as well. Thus, it will be possible, in many cases, to extrapolate the findings in the simple systems described herein to higher eukaryotes, including humans. Expanding use of these genetic model systems to dissect Rho-mediated signaling pathways in vivo will undoubtedly lead to a flood of new insights into the organization and function of these pathways in the coming years, especially in development. As the C. elegans genome sequencing effort nears completion and with the Drosophila genome project well underway, the identification of novel relevant genes will proceed with even greater speed. In addition, the rapidly expanding use of mouse knockout strategies, combined with recent developments in the associated knockout technology, will also contribute greatly to the investigation of mammalain Rho signaling pathways and their roles in development.

Asymmetric Notch activation specifies photoreceptors R3 and R4 and planar polarity in the Drosophila eye

Planar polarity is seen in epidermally derived structures throughout the animal kingdom. In the Drosophila eye, planar polarity is reflected in the mirror-symmetric arrangement of ommatidia (eye units) across the dorsoventral midline or equator; ommatidia on the dorsal and ventral sides of the equator exhibit opposite chirality. Photoreceptors R3 and R4 are essential in the establishment of the polarity of ommatidia. The R3 cell is thought to receive the polarizing signal, through the receptor Frizzled (Fz), before or at higher levels then the R4 cell, generating a difference between neighbouring R3 and R4 cells. Both loss-of-function and overexpression of Fz in the R3/R4 pair result in polarity defects and loss of mirror-image symmetry. Here we identify Notch and Delta (Dl) as dominant enhancers of the phenotypes produced by overexpression of fz and dishevelled (dsh), which encodes a signalling component downstream of Fz, and we show that D1-mediated activation of Notch is required for establishment of ommatidial polarity. Whereas fz signalling is required to specify R3, Notch signalling induces the R4 fate. Our data indicate that Dl is a transcriptional target of Fz/Dsh signalling in R3, and activates Notch in the neighbouring R4 precursor. This two-tiered mechanism explains how small differences in the level and/or timing of Fz activation reliably generate a binary cell-fate decision, leading to specification of R3 and R4 and ommatidial chirality.

Molecular genetic approaches to understanding the actin cytoskeleton

New tools in molecular genetics, such as genetic interaction screens and conditional gene targeting, have advanced the study of actin dynamics in a number of model systems. Yeast, Dictyostelium, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and mice have contributed much in recent years to a better understanding of both the numerous functions and modes of regulation of the actin cytoskeleton.

Frizzled signaling and the developmental control of cell polarity

Within the last three years, Frizzled receptors have risen from obscurity to celebrity status owing to their functional identification as receptors for the ubiquitous family of secreted WNT signaling factors. However, the founding member of the Frizzled family, Drosophila Frizzled (FZ), was cloned almost a decade ago because of its role in regulating cell polarity within the plane of an epithelium. In this review, we consider the role of FZ in this intriguing context. We discuss recent progress towards elucidating mechanisms for the intracellular specification of planar polarity, and further review evidence for models of global polarity regulation at the tissue level. The data suggest that a genetic 'cassette', encoding a set of core signaling components, could pattern hair, bristle and ommatidial planar polarity in Drosophila, and that additional tissue-specific factors might explain the diversity of signal responses. Recently described examples from the nematode and frog suggest that the developmental control of cell polarity by FZ receptors might represent a functionally conserved signaling mechanism.

Differential recruitment of Dishevelled provides signaling specificity in the planar cell polarity and Wingless signaling pathways

In Drosophila, planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling is mediated by the receptor Frizzled (Fz) and transduced by Dishevelled (Dsh). Wingless (Wg) signaling also requires Dsh and may utilize DFz2 as a receptor. Using a heterologous system, we show that Dsh is recruited selectively to the membrane by Fz but not DFz2, and this recruitment depends on the DEP domain but not the PDZ domain in Dsh. A mutation in the DEP domain impairs both membrane localization and the function of Dsh in PCP signaling, indicating that translocation is important for function. Further genetic and molecular analyses suggest that conserved domains in Dsh function differently during PCP and Wg signaling, and that divergent intracellular pathways are activated. We propose that Dsh has distinct roles in PCP and Wg signaling. The PCP signal may selectively result in focal Fz activation and asymmetric relocalization of Dsh to the membrane, where Dsh effects cytoskeletal reorganization to orient prehair initiation.

Linking cell-fate specification to planar polarity: determination of the R3/R4 photoreceptors is a prerequisite for the interpretation of the Frizzled mediated polarity signal

The adult eye of Drosophila is a highly ordered structure composed of about 800 ommatidia, each displaying precise polarity. The planar polarity is reflected in the mirror-symmetric arrangement of ommatidia relative to the dorso-ventral midline, the equator. This arrangement is generated when ommatidia rotate towards the equator and the photoreceptor R3 displaces R4 creating different chiral forms in each half. Analysis of ommatidia mosaic for the tissue polarity gene frizzled (fz) has shown that the presence of a single Fz+ photoreceptor cell within the R3/ R4 pair is critical for the direction of rotation and chirality. By analysing clones mutant for seven-up (svp), in which R3/R4 precursors reside in their normal positions and become photoreceptor neurones but fail to adopt the normal R3/R4 fate, we find that the R3/R4 photoreceptor subtype specification is a prerequisite for planar polarisation in the eye. Moreover, in mosaic R3/R4 pairs we find that the svp- cell always adopts the R4 position. This bias is reminiscent of what happens in fz mosaic R3/R4 pairs, where the fz- cell also almost always adopts the R4 position. In addition, we find that in genotypes where too many cells adopt the R3/R4 fate, ommatidial polarity is also disturbed. Taken together, these data imply that correct specification of a single R3 cell per ommatidium is essential for the normal interpretation of the Fz-mediated polarity signal.