Phantom, a cytochrome P450 enzyme essential for ecdysone biosynthesis, plays a critical role in the control of border cell migration in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The border cells of Drosophila are a model system for coordinated cell migration. Ecdysone signaling has been shown to act as the timing signal to initiate the migration process. Here we find that mutations in phantom (phm), encoding an enzyme in the ecdysone biosynthesis pathway, block border cell migration when the entire follicular epithelium of an egg chamber is mutant, even when the associated germline cells (nurse cells and oocyte) are wild-type. Conversely, mutant germline cells survive and do not affect border cell migration, as long as the surrounding follicle cells are wild-type. Interestingly, even small patches of wild-type follicle cells in a mosaic epithelium are sufficient to allow the production of above-threshold levels of ecdysone to promote border cell migration. The sam

SUBMITTER: Domanitskaya E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4028970 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature