Degennaro, M., Hurd, T.R., Siekhaus, D.E., Biteau, B., Jasper, H., Lehmann, R. (2011). Peroxiredoxin Stabilization of DE-Cadherin Promotes Primordial Germ Cell Adhesion. Dev. Cell 20(2): 233--243.
FlyBase ID
FBrf0212971
Publication Type
Research paper
Abstract
Regulated adhesion between cells and their environment is critical for normal cell migration. We have identified mutations in a gene encoding the Drosophila hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-degrading enzyme Jafrac1, which lead to germ cell adhesion defects. During gastrulation, primordial germ cells (PGCs) associate tightly with the invaginating midgut primordium as it enters the embryo; however, in embryos from jafrac1 mutant mothers this association is disrupted, leaving some PGCs trailing on the outside of the embryo. We observed similar phenotypes in embryos from DE-cadherin/shotgun (shg) mutant mothers and were able to rescue the jafrac1 phenotype by increasing DE-cadherin levels. This and our biochemical evidence strongly suggest that Jafrac1-mediated reduction of H₂O₂ is required to maintain DE-cadherin protein levels in the early embryo. Our results present in vivo evidence of a peroxiredoxin regulating DE-cadherin-mediated adhesion.
