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Dynamic cell shapes and contacts in the developing Drosophila retina are regulated by the Ig cell adhesion protein hibris
Author(s) -
GrilloHill Bree K.,
Wolff Tanya
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21981
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , morphogenesis , cell , imaginal disc , retina , cell adhesion , eye development , axon guidance , cell migration , drosophila (subgenus) , mutant , cell–cell interaction , anatomy , genetics , phenotype , neuroscience , axon , gene
Cell shapes and contacts are dynamically regulated during organogenesis to enable contacts with relevant neighboring cells at appropriate times. During Drosophila larval eye development, an apical contact is established between one pair of non‐neuronal cones cells, precluding contact between the opposing pair. Concurrent with changes in cell shape, these contacts reverse in early pupal life. The reversal in cone cell contacts occurs in a posterior to anterior gradient across the eye, following the developmental gradient established in the larval eye imaginal disc. Hibris (Hbs), an Immunoglobulin cell adhesion molecule homologous to vertebrate Nephrin, is required for cone cell morphogenesis. In hbs null mutants, a majority of cone cells fail to both establish wild‐type contacts and achieve mature cone cell shapes. hbs acts cell autonomously in the cone cells to drive these changes. The work presented here indicates hbs contributes to the remodeling of cell contacts and cell shapes throughout development. Developmental Dynamics 238:2223–2334, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.