Biomaterial Database

Genes controlling cellular polarity in Drosophila. 1993

D Gubb

University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, UK.

The control of cellular polarity is one of the least understood aspects of development. Genes have been identified in Drosophila that affect the polarity of embryonic cells in all three axes, apical-basal, proximodistal and dorsoventral. Mutations that affect adult polarity are also known and mutant flies show several types of pattern alteration, including rotations and mirror-image duplications. Imaginal discs are much greater in size, however, than the embryo, and adult structures contain very large numbers of cells, many of which are not visibly differentiated with respect to their immediate neighbours. In regions where neighbouring cells are similar to each other, the imaginal polarity mutants alter the orientation of bristles and hairs, but do not change cellular fate. Other regions, such as the tarsal segments of the legs, the ommatidia of the eye and the bracketed bristle sockets on the tibia, behave as discrete fields. Within these fields, fine-scale mirror-image reversals and pattern duplications are observed, analogous to those caused by the embryonic segment polarity mutants. Thus, the polarised transmission of information can affect either orientation or fate depending on whether cells are differentiated from their immediate neighbours. Cellular polarity will be critically dependent on both the internal cytoskeletal architecture and the spatial organisation of signal transduction molecules within the cell membrane.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009024	Morphogenesis	The development of anatomical structures to create the form of a single- or multi-cell organism. Morphogenesis provides form changes of a part, parts, or the whole organism.
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D010641	Phenotype	The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment.	Phenotypes
D002450	Cell Communication	Any of several ways in which living cells of an organism communicate with one another, whether by direct contact between cells or by means of chemical signals carried by neurotransmitter substances, hormones, and cyclic AMP.	Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interaction,Cell Communications,Cell Interactions,Cell to Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interactions,Communication, Cell,Communications, Cell,Interaction, Cell,Interaction, Cell-to-Cell,Interactions, Cell,Interactions, Cell-to-Cell
D004330	Drosophila	A genus of small, two-winged flies containing approximately 900 described species. These organisms are the most extensively studied of all genera from the standpoint of genetics and cytology.	Fruit Fly, Drosophila,Drosophila Fruit Flies,Drosophila Fruit Fly,Drosophilas,Flies, Drosophila Fruit,Fly, Drosophila Fruit,Fruit Flies, Drosophila
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015398	Signal Transduction	The intracellular transfer of information (biological activation/inhibition) through a signal pathway. In each signal transduction system, an activation/inhibition signal from a biologically active molecule (hormone, neurotransmitter) is mediated via the coupling of a receptor/enzyme to a second messenger system or to an ion channel. Signal transduction plays an important role in activating cellular functions, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. Examples of signal transduction systems are the GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID-postsynaptic receptor-calcium ion channel system, the receptor-mediated T-cell activation pathway, and the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases. Those coupled to membrane depolarization or intracellular release of calcium include the receptor-mediated activation of cytotoxic functions in granulocytes and the synaptic potentiation of protein kinase activation. Some signal transduction pathways may be part of larger signal transduction pathways; for example, protein kinase activation is part of the platelet activation signal pathway.	Cell Signaling,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Pathways,Receptor Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Transduction Pathways,Signal Transduction Systems,Pathway, Signal,Pathway, Signal Transduction,Pathways, Signal,Pathways, Signal Transduction,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transductions,Signal Pathway,Signal Transduction Pathway,Signal Transduction System,Signal Transduction, Receptor-Mediated,Signal Transductions,Signal Transductions, Receptor-Mediated,System, Signal Transduction,Systems, Signal Transduction,Transduction, Signal,Transductions, Signal
D016764	Cell Polarity	Orientation of intracellular structures especially with respect to the apical and basolateral domains of the plasma membrane. Polarized cells must direct proteins from the Golgi apparatus to the appropriate domain since tight junctions prevent proteins from diffusing between the two domains.	Cell Polarities,Polarities, Cell,Polarity, Cell
D017344	Genes, Insect	The functional hereditary units of INSECTS.	Insect Genes,Gene, Insect,Insect Gene