Dynamics of cell contacts during cell intercalation in germband extension of Drosophila

在发育过程中，许多形态发生运动依赖于细胞嵌入，即组织内的细胞交换它们的邻居。在这个过程中，细胞接触被削弱以沿着相邻的细胞滑动，同时它们必须保持足够的强度以保持组织的完整性。本项目研究了果蝇胚性发育过程中胚带伸长过程中的定向细胞插层。具体来说，新合成的e -钙粘蛋白的作用和内质网内蛋白质的加工过程在邻居交换过程中形成新的细胞接触将被分析。此外，我们将研究组织内细胞形成协调网络的程度，即细胞的机制是否影响其下一个和更远的邻居的行为，以及这种机制在多大程度上负责协调。

Many morphogenetic movements during development depend on cell intercalation, when cells within a tissue exchange their neighbours. During this process cell contacts are weakened to slide along their neighbors, while at the same time they have to remain sufficiently strong to maintain the integrity of the tissue. In this project, directed cell intercalation during germband elongation in Drosophila em-bryogenesis is investigated. Specifically the role of newly synthesised E-Cadherin protein and proc-essing of the protein within the endoplasmic reticulum for the formation of new cell contacts during neighbour exchanges will be analysed. In addition we will investigate to which degree the cells within the tissue form a coordinated network, i. e. whether the mechanics of a cell influences the behaviour of its next and further distant neighbours and to which degree this mechanism is responsible for coor-dination.