Septate junction proteins are required for cell shape changes, actomyosin reorganization and cell adhesion during dorsal closure in Drosophila

ABSTRACT: Septate junctions (SJs) serve as occluding barriers in invertebrate epithelia. In Drosophila, at least 30 genes are required for the formation or maintenance of SJs. Interestingly, loss-of-function mutations in core SJ components are embryonic lethal, with defects in developmental events such as head involution and dorsal closure (DC) that occur prior to the formation of a mature SJ, indicating a role for these proteins in mid-embryogenesis independent of their occluding function. To understand this novel function in development, we examined loss-of-function mutations in three core SJ proteins during the process of DC. DC occurs during mid-embryogenesis to seal a dorsal gap in the epidermis following germ band retraction. Closure is driven by contraction of the extraembryonic amnioserosa c

SUBMITTER: De O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9553006 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature