DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY Forced to Close

Dorsal closure occurs in the Drosophila embryo and resembles movements in vertebrate development and wound healing. Hutson et al. (see the Perspective by Martin and Parkhurst) describe the relative contributions of various tissues and components required to drive the key morphogenetic process of dorsal closure. They used laser microsurgery and mathematical modeling methods to determine the force contributions from four different cell movements: amnioserosal contraction, supracellular purse-string contraction, lateral epidermal stretching, and filopodial zippering. The robustness of this process comes from a balance of the various forces involved. The quantitative model was then applied to a dorsal closure mutant to identify how the different force components were affected.

M. S. Hutson, Y. Tokutake, M.-S. Chang, J. W. Bloor, S. Venakides, D. P. Kiehart, G. S. Edwards, Forces for morphogenesis investigated with laser microsurgery and quantitative modeling. Science 300, 145-149 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]

P. Martin, S. M. Parkhurst, May the force be with you. Science 300, 63-65 (2003). [Summary] [Full Text]

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REPORTS
Forces for Morphogenesis Investigated with Laser Microsurgery and Quantitative Modeling

M. Shane Hutson, Yoichiro Tokutake, Ming-Shien Chang, James W. Bloor, Stephanos Venakides, Daniel P. Kiehart, and Glenn S. Edwards (4 April 2003)
Science 300 (5616), 145. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1079552]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supporting Online Material »

PERSPECTIVES
DEVELOPMENT:
Enhanced: May the Force Be with You

Paul Martin and Susan M. Parkhurst (4 April 2003)
Science 300 (5616), 63. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1084148]
 |  Summary »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »