Wingless repression of Drosophila frizzled 2 expression shapes the Wingless morphogen gradient in the wing.
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| Title | Wingless repression of Drosophila frizzled 2 expression shapes the Wingless morphogen gradient in the wing. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 1998 |
| Authors | Cadigan KM, Fish MP, Rulifson EJ, Nusse R |
| Journal | Cell |
| Volume | 93 |
| Pagination | 767–777 |
| Date Published | May |
| ISSN | 0092-8674 (Print); 0092-8674 (Linking) |
| Abstract | In Drosophila wing imaginal discs, the Wingless (Wg) protein acts as a morphogen, emanating from the dorsal/ventral (D/V) boundary of the disc to directly define cell identities along the D/V axis at short and long range. Here, we show that high levels of a Wg receptor, Drosophila frizzled 2 (Dfz2), stabilize Wg, allowing it to reach cells far from its site of synthesis. Wg signaling represses Dfz2 expression, creating a gradient of decreasing Wg stability moving toward the D/V boundary. This repression of Dfz2 is crucial for the normal shape of Wg morphogen gradient as well as the response of cells to the Wg signal. In contrast to other ligand-receptor relationships where the receptor limits diffusion of the ligand, Dfz2 broadens the range of Wg action by protecting it from degradation. |
