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Sci. STKE, 23 January 2007
Vol. 2007, Issue 370, p. tw34
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.3702007tw34]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Developmental Biology Cellular Morphogenesis with a Twist

Beverly Purnell

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

Cellular morphogenesis is important throughout much of early development in multicellular animals. During Drosophila gastrulation, epithelial cells on the ventral side of the embryo display apical constrictions that cause the invagination of the mesoderm and formation of a ventral furrow. Kölsch et al. now identify a target of the transcriptional activator Twist. This transmembrane protein, T48, coordinates with signaling factors Fog and Cta to localize the cytoskeletal modulator RhoGEF2 to the apical side of ventral cells in order to direct apical constriction and ventral furrow formation.

V. Kölsch, T. Seher, G. J. Fernandez-Ballester, L. Serrano, M. Leptin, Control of Drosophila gastrulation by apical localization of adherens junctions and RhoGEF2. Science 315, 384-386 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: B. Purnell, Cellular Morphogenesis with a Twist. Sci. STKE 2007, tw34 (2007).

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