Reference Report

Reference
Citation	Urban, S., Brown, G., Freeman, M. (2004). EGF receptor signalling protects smooth-cuticle cells from apoptosis during Drosophila ventral epidermis development. Development 131(8): 1835--1845. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID	FBrf0174566
Publication Type	Research paper
PubMed ID	15084467
PubMed Abstract	Patterning of the Drosophila ventral epidermis is a tractable model for understanding the role of signalling pathways in development. Interplay between Wingless and EGFR signalling determines the segmentally repeated pattern of alternating denticle belts and smooth cuticle: spitz group genes, which encode factors that stimulate EGFR signalling, induce the denticle fate, while Wingless signalling antagonizes the effect of EGFR signalling, allowing cells to adopt the smooth-cuticle fate. Medial fusion of denticle belts is also a hallmark of spitz group genes, yet its underlying cause is unknown. We have studied this phenotype and discovered a new function for EGFR signalling in epidermal patterning. Smooth-cuticle cells, which are receiving Wingless signalling, are nevertheless dependent on EGFR signalling for survival. Reducing EGFR signalling results in apoptosis of smooth-cuticle cells between stages 12 and 14, bringing adjacent denticle regions together to result in denticle belt fusions by stage 15. Multiple factors stimulate EGFR signalling to promote smooth-cuticle cell survival: in addition to the spitz group genes, Rhomboid-3/roughoid, but not Rhomboid-2 or -4, and the neuregulin-like ligand Vein also function in survival signalling. Pointed mutants display the lowest frequency of fusions, suggesting that EGFR signalling may inhibit apoptosis primarily at the post-translational level. All ventral epidermal cells therefore require some level of EGFR signalling; high levels specify the denticle fate, while lower levels maintain smooth-cuticle cell survival. This strategy might guard against developmental errors, and may be conserved in mammalian epidermal patterning.
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Language of Publication	English
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Publication Type	Journal
Abbreviation	Development
Title	Development
Publication Year	1987-
ISBN/ISSN	0950-1991
Data from Reference
Aberrations (1)
	Df(3L)H99
Alleles (23)
	Egfr::tor^{t4021E.hs.sev} Egfr^DN.Scer\UAS phl^{K497M.Scer\UAS} pnt^Δ88 Ras85D^N17.Scer\UAS Ras85D^V12.Scer\UAS rho-4^dsRNA.cUa rho^7M43 rho^dsRNA.cUa rho^PΔ5 rho^PΔ38 rho^unspecified ru¹ ru^dsRNA.cUa ru^PLLb S²¹⁸ Scer\GAL4^arm.PS Scer\GAL4^prd.RG1 Scer\GAL4^wg.PM sim² spi¹ stet^dsRNA.cUa vn¹⁰⁵⁶⁷
Constructs (8)
	P{GAL4-arm.S} P{GAL4-prd.F} P{GAL4-wg.M} P{sE-torso⁴⁰²¹-DER} P{UAS-Egfr.DN} P{UAS-phl.KMRaf3.1} P{UAS-Ras85D.N17} P{UAS-Ras85D.V12}
Genes (15)
	Egfr Egfr::tor en phl pnt Ras85D rho rho-4 ru S Scer\GAL4 sim spi stet vn
Insertions (3)
	P{PZ}vn¹⁰⁵⁶⁷ P{UAS-Egfr.DN}1-7 P{UAS-Egfr.DN}29-77-1