Interactions between the amnioserosa and the epidermis revealed by the function of the u-shaped gene

JNK signaling and integrins cooperate to maintain cell adhesion during epithelial fusion in Drosophila

The fusion of epithelial sheets is an essential and conserved morphogenetic event that requires the maintenance of tissue continuity. This is secured by membrane-bound or diffusible signals that instruct the epithelial cells, in a coordinated fashion, to change shapes and adhesive properties and when, how and where to move. Here we show that during Dorsal Closure (DC) in Drosophila, the Jun kinase (JNK) signaling pathway modulates integrins expression and ensures tissue endurance. An excess of JNK activity, as an outcome of a failure in the negative feedback implemented by the dual-specificity phosphatase Puckered (Puc), promotes the loss of integrins [the ß-subunit Myospheroid (Mys)] and amnioserosa detachment. Likewise, integrins signal back to the pathway to regulate the duration and strength of JNK activity. Mys is necessary for the regulation of JNK activity levels and in its absence, puc expression is downregulated and JNK activity increases.

How two extraembryonic epithelia became one: serosa and amnion features and functions of Drosophila's amnioserosa

The conservation of gene networks that specify and differentiate distinct tissues has long been a subject of great interest to evolutionary developmental biologists, but the question of how pre-existing tissue-specific developmental trajectories merge is rarely asked. During the radiation of flies, two extraembryonic epithelia, known as serosa and amnion, evolved into one, called amnioserosa. This unique extraembryonic epithelium is found in fly species of the group Schizophora, including the genetic model organism Drosophila melanogaster, and has been studied in depth. Close relatives of this group develop a serosa and a rudimentary amnion. The scuttle fly Megaselia abdita has emerged as an excellent model organism to study this extraembryonic tissue organization. In this review, development and functions of the extraembryonic tissue complements of Drosophila and Megaselia are compared. It is concluded that the amnioserosa combines cells, genetic pathway components and functions that were previously associated either with serosa development or amnion development. The composite developmental trajectory of the amnioserosa raises the question of whether merging tissue-specific gene networks is a common evolutionary process. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.

The mRNA decapping protein 2 (DCP2) is a major regulator of developmental events in Drosophila-insights from expression paradigms

The Drosophila genome codes for two decapping proteins, DCP1 and DCP2, out of which DCP2 is the active decapping enzyme. The present endeavour explores the endogenous promoter firing, transcript and protein expression of DCP2 in Drosophila wherein, besides a ubiquitous expression across development, we identify an active expression paradigm during dorsal closure and a plausible moonlighting expression in the Corazonin neurons of the larval brain. We also demonstrate that the ablation of DCP2 leads to embryonic lethality and defects in vital morphogenetic processes whereas a knockdown of DCP2 in the Corazonin neurons reduces the sensitivity to ethanol in adults, thereby ascribing novel regulatory roles to DCP2. Our findings unravel novel putative roles for DCP2 and identify it as a candidate for studies on the regulated interplay of essential molecules during early development in Drosophila, nay the living world.

20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling regulates amnioserosa morphogenesis during Drosophila dorsal closure: EcR modulates gene expression in a complex with the AP-1 subunit, Jun

Steroid hormones influence diverse biological processes throughout the animal life cycle, including metabolism, stress resistance, reproduction, and lifespan. In insects, the steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), is the central hormone regulator of molting and metamorphosis, and plays roles in tissue morphogenesis. For example, amnioserosa contraction, which is a major driving force in Drosophila dorsal closure (DC), is defective in embryos mutant for 20E biosynthesis. Here, we show that 20E signaling modulates the transcription of several DC participants in the amnioserosa and other dorsal tissues during late embryonic development, including zipper, which encodes for non-muscle myosin. Canonical ecdysone signaling typically involves the binding of Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Ultraspiracle heterodimers to ecdysone-response elements (EcREs) within the promoters of responsive genes to drive expression. During DC, however, we provide evidence that 20E signaling instead acts in parallel to the JNK cascade via a direct interaction between EcR and the AP-1 transcription factor subunit, Jun, which together binds to genomic regions containing AP-1 binding sites but no EcREs to control gene expression. Our work demonstrates a novel mode of action for 20E signaling in Drosophila that likely functions beyond DC, and may provide further insights into mammalian steroid hormone receptor interactions with AP-1.

Summary: During Drosophila dorsal closure, 20E signaling acts non-canonically through an interaction between EcR and the AP-1 subunit, Jun, to control gene expression at regions containing AP-1 motifs but no EcREs.

Identifying Key Genetic Regions for Cell Sheet Morphogenesis on Chromosome 2L Using a Drosophila Deficiency Screen in Dorsal Closure

Cell sheet morphogenesis is essential for metazoan development and homeostasis of animal form - it contributes to developmental milestones including gastrulation, neural tube closure, heart and palate formation and to tissue maintenance during wound healing. Dorsal closure, a well-characterized stage in Drosophila embryogenesis and a model for cell sheet morphogenesis, is a remarkably robust process during which coordination of conserved gene expression patterns and signaling cascades regulate the cellular shape changes and movements. New 'dorsal closure genes' continue to be discovered due to advances in imaging and genetics. Here, we extend our previous study of the right arm of the 2^nd chromosome to the left arm of the 2^nd chromosome using the Bloomington deficiency kit's set of large deletions, which collectively remove 98.9% of the genes on the left arm of chromosome two (2L) to identify 'dorsal closure deficiencies'. We successfully screened 87.2% of the genes and identified diverse dorsal closure defects in embryos homozygous for 49 deficiencies, 27 of which delete no known dorsal closure gene. These homozygous deficiencies cause defects in cell shape, canthus formation and tissue dynamics. Within these deficiencies, we have identified pimples, odd-skipped, paired, and sloppy-paired 1 as dorsal closure genes on 2L that affect lateral epidermal cells. We will continue to identify novel 'dorsal closure genes' with further analysis. These forward genetic screens are expected to identify new processes and pathways that contribute to closure and links between pathways and structures already known to coordinate various aspects of closure.

Cell Sheet Morphogenesis: Dorsal Closure in Drosophila melanogaster as a Model System

Dorsal closure is a key process during Drosophila morphogenesis that models cell sheet movements in chordates, including neural tube closure, palate formation, and wound healing. Closure occurs midway through embryogenesis and entails circumferential elongation of lateral epidermal cell sheets that close a dorsal hole filled with amnioserosa cells. Signaling pathways regulate the function of cellular structures and processes, including Actomyosin and microtubule cytoskeletons, cell-cell/cell-matrix adhesion complexes, and endocytosis/vesicle trafficking. These orchestrate complex shape changes and movements that entail interactions between five distinct cell types. Genetic and laser perturbation studies establish that closure is robust, resilient, and the consequence of redundancy that contributes to four distinct biophysical processes: contraction of the amnioserosa, contraction of supracellular Actomyosin cables, elongation (stretching?) of the lateral epidermis, and zipping together of two converging cell sheets. What triggers closure and what the emergent properties are that give rise to its extraordinary resilience and fidelity remain key, extant questions.

Microtubule organization is determined by the shape of epithelial cells

Interphase microtubule organization is critical for cell function and tissue architecture. In general, physical mechanisms are sufficient to drive microtubule organization in single cells, whereas cells within tissues are thought to utilize signalling mechanisms. By improving the imaging and quantitation of microtubule alignment within developing Drosophila embryos, here we demonstrate that microtubule alignment underneath the apical surface of epithelial cells follows cell shape. During development, epidermal cell elongation and microtubule alignment occur simultaneously, but by perturbing cell shape, we discover that microtubule organization responds to cell shape, rather than the converse. A simple set of microtubule behaviour rules is sufficient for a computer model to mimic the observed responses to changes in cell surface geometry. Moreover, we show that microtubules colliding with cell boundaries zip-up or depolymerize in an angle-dependent manner, as predicted by the model. Finally, we show microtubule alignment responds to cell shape in diverse epithelia.

Morphogenetic functions of extraembryonic membranes in insects

Morphogenetic functions of the amnioserosa, the serosa, the amnion, and the yolk sac are reviewed on the basis of recent studies in flies (Drosophila, Megaselia), beetles (Tribolium), and hemipteran bugs (Oncopeltus). Three hypotheses are presented. First, it is suggested that the amnioserosa of Drosophila and the dorsal amnion of other fly species function in a similar manner. Second, it is proposed that in many species with an amniotic cavity, the amnion determines the site of serosa rupture, which, through interactions between the serosa and the amnion, enables the embryo to break free from the amniotic cavity and to close its backside. Finally, it is concluded that the yolk sac is likely an important player in insect morphogenesis.

Evolution of epithelial morphogenesis: phenotypic integration across multiple levels of biological organization

Morphogenesis involves the dynamic reorganization of cell and tissue shapes to create the three-dimensional body. Intriguingly, different species have evolved different morphogenetic processes to achieve the same general outcomes during embryonic development. How are meaningful comparisons between species made, and where do the differences lie? In this Perspective, we argue that examining the evolution of embryonic morphogenesis requires the simultaneous consideration of different levels of biological organization: (1) genes, (2) cells, (3) tissues, and (4) the entire egg, or other gestational context. To illustrate the importance of integrating these levels, we use the extraembryonic epithelia of insects—a lineage-specific innovation and evolutionary hotspot—as an exemplary case study. We discuss how recent functional data, primarily from RNAi experiments targeting the Hox3/Zen and U-shaped group transcription factors, provide insights into developmental processes at all four levels. Comparisons of these data from several species both challenge and inform our understanding of homology, in assessing how the process of epithelial morphogenesis has itself evolved.

A DPP-mediated feed-forward loop canalizes morphogenesis during Drosophila dorsal closure

During Drosophila dorsal closure, DPP and JNK signaling form a feed-forward loop that controls the specification and differentiation of leading edge cells to ensure robust morphogenesis.

Development is robust because nature has selected various mechanisms to buffer the deleterious effects of environmental and genetic variations to deliver phenotypic stability. Robustness relies on smart network motifs such as feed-forward loops (FFLs) that ensure the reliable interpretation of developmental signals. In this paper, we show that Decapentaplegic (DPP) and JNK form a coherent FFL that controls the specification and differentiation of leading edge cells during Drosophila melanogaster dorsal closure (DC). We provide molecular evidence that through repression by Brinker (Brk), the DPP branch of the FFL filters unwanted JNK activity. High-throughput live imaging revealed that this DPP/Brk branch is dispensable for DC under normal conditions but is required when embryos are subjected to thermal stress. Our results indicate that the wiring of DPP signaling buffers against environmental challenges and canalizes cell identity. We propose that the main function of DPP pathway during Drosophila DC is to ensure robust morphogenesis, a distinct function from its well-established ability to spread spatial information.

Modulation of morphogenesis by Egfr during dorsal closure in Drosophila

During Drosophila embryogenesis the process of dorsal closure (DC) results in continuity of the embryonic epidermis, and DC is well recognized as a model system for the analysis of epithelial morphogenesis as well as wound healing. During DC the flanking lateral epidermal sheets stretch, align, and fuse along the dorsal midline, thereby sealing a hole in the epidermis occupied by an extra-embryonic tissue known as the amnioserosa (AS). Successful DC requires the regulation of cell shape change via actomyosin contractility in both the epidermis and the AS, and this involves bidirectional communication between these two tissues. We previously demonstrated that transcriptional regulation of myosin from the zipper (zip) locus in both the epidermis and the AS involves the expression of Ack family tyrosine kinases in the AS in conjunction with Dpp secreted from the epidermis. A major function of Ack in other species, however, involves the negative regulation of Egfr. We have, therefore, asked what role Egfr might play in the regulation of DC. Our studies demonstrate that Egfr is required to negatively regulate epidermal expression of dpp during DC. Interestingly, we also find that Egfr signaling in the AS is required to repress zip expression in both the AS and the epidermis, and this may be generally restrictive to the progression of morphogenesis in these tissues. Consistent with this theme of restricting morphogenesis, it has previously been shown that programmed cell death of the AS is essential for proper DC, and we show that Egfr signaling also functions to inhibit or delay AS programmed cell death. Finally, we present evidence that Ack regulates zip expression by promoting the endocytosis of Egfr in the AS. We propose that the general role of Egfr signaling during DC is that of a braking mechanism on the overall progression of DC.