TY - JOUR
T1 - Heterotrimeric G proteins direct two modes of asymmetric cell division in the Drosophila nervous system
AU - Schaefer, Matthias
AU - Petronczki, Mark
AU - Dorner, Daniela
AU - Forte, Michael
AU - Knoblich, Juergen A.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank members of the Knoblich lab and Michael Glotzer for helpful discussions, Barry Dickson and Michael Glotzer for comments on the manuscript, Elke Kleiner for technical assistance, Peter Steinlein and Karin Paiha for assistance with confocal microscopy, Karl Mechtler and Irmina Gorny for peptide synthesis, and Gotthold Schaffner for DNA sequencing. We are grateful to Paul Adler, Bill Chia, Yuh Nung Jan, Marie-Laure Parmentier, Daniel St. Johnston, Andreas Wodarz, the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank, and the Bloomington and Szeged Drosophila Stockcenters for providing antibodies and flystocks, and in particular to Siegfried Roth for pointing out the morphological similarity of Gβ13F and conc mutants. Work in J.A.K.'s lab is supported by Boehringer Ingelheim and the Wiener Wirtschafts Foerderungs Fond (WWFF).
PY - 2001/10/19
Y1 - 2001/10/19
N2 - In Drosophila, distinct mechanisms orient asymmetric cell division along the apical-basal axis in neuroblasts and along the anterior-posterior axis in sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells. Here, we show that heterotrimeric G proteins are essential for asymmetric cell division in both cell types. The G protein subunit Gαi localizes apically in neuroblasts and anteriorly in SOP cells before and during mitosis. Interfering with G protein function by Gαi overexpression or depletion of heterotrimeric G protein complexes causes defects in spindle orientation and asymmetric localization of determinants. Gαi is colocalized and associated with Pins, a protein that induces the release of the βγ subunit and might act as a receptor-independent G protein activator. Thus, asymmetric activation of heterotrimeric G proteins by a receptor-independent mechanism may orient asymmetric cell divisions in different cell types.
AB - In Drosophila, distinct mechanisms orient asymmetric cell division along the apical-basal axis in neuroblasts and along the anterior-posterior axis in sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells. Here, we show that heterotrimeric G proteins are essential for asymmetric cell division in both cell types. The G protein subunit Gαi localizes apically in neuroblasts and anteriorly in SOP cells before and during mitosis. Interfering with G protein function by Gαi overexpression or depletion of heterotrimeric G protein complexes causes defects in spindle orientation and asymmetric localization of determinants. Gαi is colocalized and associated with Pins, a protein that induces the release of the βγ subunit and might act as a receptor-independent G protein activator. Thus, asymmetric activation of heterotrimeric G proteins by a receptor-independent mechanism may orient asymmetric cell divisions in different cell types.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0092-8674(01)00521-9
DO - 10.1016/S0092-8674(01)00521-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 11672526
AN - SCOPUS:0035913905
SN - 0092-8674
VL - 107
SP - 183
EP - 194
JO - Cell
JF - Cell
IS - 2
ER -