Egfr signaling modulates VM32E gene expression during Drosophila oogenesis

• Published in: Development Genes and Evolution Vol. 217; no. 7; pp. 529 - 540
• Main Authors: Bernardi, Fabio, Duchi, Serena, Cavaliere, Valeria, Donati, Alessandra, Andrenacci, Davide, Gargiulo, Giuseppe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.07.2007; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Differentiation; clones; DNA-Binding Proteins; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Down-regulation; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Ectopic expression; Egfr; Egg Proteins; Egg Proteins - genetics; Egg Proteins - metabolism; egg shell; Egg shells; eggs; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factor receptors; ErbB Receptors; ETS protein; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Follicles; Gene expression; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; genetics; In Situ Hybridization; Insects; metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Oogenesis; Oogenesis - genetics; Pattern formation; Protein Kinases; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide; Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide - metabolism; Signal Transduction; structural genes; transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Vitelline membrane; VM32E
• ISSN: 0949-944X; 3059-3239; 1432-041X; 3059-3247
• DOI: 10.1007/s00427-007-0164-1

Drosophila vitelline membrane gene VM32E is expressed in the follicle cells of the stage 10 egg chamber and shows a peculiar temporal and spatial expression pattern compared to the other members of the same gene family. Previous work has led us to demonstrate that Decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling represses the expression of the VM32E gene in the centripetal follicle cells. In this paper, we describe another level of complexity of the VM32E gene expression regulation. Through clonal analyses, we show that the expression of the VM32E gene in the main body follicle cells is modulated by the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) activity. In follicle cell clones expressing a constitutively active form of the Egfr, the VM32E gene is downregulated, while the loss of the Egfr activity upregulates VM32E expression. In addition, we show that the ectopic expression of the Egfr-induced ETS transcription factor PointedP2 (PntP2) affects the expression of the VM32E gene. From these results and our previously published data, it appears that the proper patterning of follicle cells, defined by Dpp and Egfr signaling pathways, controls the VM32E gene expression pattern. This may suggest that a fine tuning of the expression of specific eggshell structural genes could be part of the complex process that leads to a proper eggshell assembly.