GammaCOP is required for apical protein secretion and epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is increasing evidence that tissue-specific modifications of basic cellular functions play an important role in development and disease. To identify the functions of COPI coatomer-mediated membrane trafficking in Drosophila development, we were aiming to create loss-of-function mutations in the gammaCOP gene, which encodes a subunit of the COPI coatomer complex.

Principal findings

We found that gammaCOP is essential for the viability of the Drosophila embryo. In the absence of zygotic gammaCOP activity, embryos die late in embryogenesis and display pronounced defects in morphogenesis of the embryonic epidermis and of tracheal tubes. The coordinated cell rearrangements and cell shape changes during tracheal tube morphogenesis critically depend on apical secre

SUBMITTER: Grieder NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2532760 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature