Abstract
The dorsoventral (DV) axis of the Drosophila embryo is patterned by a nuclear gradient of the Rel family transcription factor, Dorsal (Dl), that activates or represses numerous target genes in a region-specific manner. Here, we demonstrate that signaling by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) reduces nuclear levels and transcriptional activity of Dl, both at the poles and in the mid-body of the embryo. These effects depend on wntD, which encodes a Dl antagonist belonging to the Wingless/Wnt family of secreted factors. Specifically, we show that, via relief of Groucho- and Capicua-mediated repression, the Torso and EGFR RTK pathways induce expression of WntD, which in turn limits Dl nuclear localization at the poles and along the DV axis. Furthermore, this RTK-dependent control of Dl is important for restricting expression of its targets in both contexts. Thus, our results reveal a new mechanism of crosstalk, whereby RTK signals modulate the spatial distribution and activity of a developmental morphogen in vivo. 2012.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3032-3039 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Development (Cambridge) |
Volume | 139 |
Issue number | 16 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 15 2012 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Keywords
- Dorsal
- Drosophila
- Gene regulation
- Negative feedback
- RTK signaling
- WntD