Discs large links spindle orientation to apical-basal polarity in Drosophila epithelia.

ABSTRACT: Mitotic spindles in epithelial cells are oriented in the plane of the epithelium so that both daughter cells remain within the monolayer, and defects in spindle orientation have been proposed to promote tumorigenesis by causing epithelial disorganization and hyperplasia. Previous work has implicated the apical polarity factor aPKC, the junctional protein APC2, and basal integrins in epithelial spindle orientation, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We show that these factors are not required for spindle orientation in the Drosophila follicular epithelium. Furthermore, aPKC and other apical polarity factors disappear from the apical membrane in mitosis. Instead, spindle orientation requires the lateral factor Discs large (Dlg), a function that is separable from its role in epithe

SUBMITTER: Bergstralh DT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3770898 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature