Cuticle differentiation in the embryo of the fruit fly Drososphila melanogaster

果蝇胚胎的角质层分化

• 批准号: 151001288
• 负责人: Privatdozent Dr. Bernard Moussian
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Genetik der Tiere
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2008-12-31 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/151001288?language=en
• 关键词: Cuticle; differentiation; embryo; fruit; fly

The cuticle is a widespread extracellular structure shared by most animal species classified as arthropods and related taxa, and is an evolutionary successful concept to protect its possessor against dehydration, predators and pathogens, to support the body shape and to serve at the same time as an exoskeleton. To fulfil its multiple functions, the cuticle is subdivided into three horizontal layers with distinct compositions. The molecular mechanisms that implement the cuticle architecture had not been investigated yet. Our strategy to understand cuticle differentiation is to study this process during Drosophila embryogenesis profiting from the wealth of advantages this classic model organism offers. In the last few years, we have been able to identify several essential cuticle factors allowing the discovery and partial dissection of mechanisms of cuticle differentiation. In summary, the work on these factors underlines the importance of the apical plasma membrane and the need for controlled secretion for a stereotypic organisation of the cuticle. These data enable us now to tackle the problem of how different functional units of the cuticle differentiate simultaneously. We are focussing our efforts on transcriptional regulation and secretion control to answer this question, while we continue our genetic approach to isolate and characterise additional components acting during cuticle differentiation. In particular, we are interested in registering the effective transcriptome of cuticle differentiation by the identification of the target genes of the transcription factors Grainyhead, βFtzF1 and CrebA that are known to govern differentiation processes during late embryogenesis. In parallel, we seek to unravel the secretion mechanisms directing coordinated construction of the extracellular matrix that will become the cuticle. These systematic ventures will be accompanied by an RNAi-based genetic search for more effectors of cuticle differentiation, the characterisation of which will enable us to further dissect the underlying molecular mechanisms. With this project strengthened by our solid knowledge in histology, we expect to launch cuticle differentiation as a pathfinder of the research field of organ differentiation.

角质层是节肢动物及其相关类群中广泛存在的细胞外结构，是一个成功的进化概念，可以保护其所有者免受脱水，捕食者和病原体的侵害，支持身体形状，同时充当外骨骼。为了实现其多种功能，角质层被细分为三个具有不同成分的水平层。实现角质层结构的分子机制尚未被研究。我们理解角质层分化的策略是在果蝇胚胎发生过程中研究这一过程，利用这一经典模式生物提供的丰富优势。在过去的几年里，我们已经能够确定几个基本的角质层因子，允许发现和部分解剖角质层分化机制。总之，对这些因素的研究强调了根尖质膜的重要性，以及控制分泌对角质层的刻板组织的必要性。这些数据使我们现在能够解决角质层的不同功能单位如何同时分化的问题。我们正在集中精力研究转录调控和分泌控制来回答这个问题，同时我们继续用遗传方法分离和表征角质层分化过程中起作用的其他成分。我们特别感兴趣的是通过鉴定转录因子Grainyhead、βFtzF1和CrebA的靶基因来记录角质层分化的有效转录组，这些转录因子已知在胚胎发生后期控制分化过程。同时，我们试图揭示指导细胞外基质协调构建的分泌机制，这些细胞外基质将成为角质层。这些系统的冒险将伴随着基于rnai的更多角质层分化效应的遗传搜索，其特征将使我们能够进一步剖析潜在的分子机制。在这个项目的基础上，结合我们扎实的组织学知识，我们希望将角质层分化作为器官分化研究领域的探索者。