Development of the Drosophila body plan Flashcards
Ectoderm
Embryonic germ layer that gives rise to the epidermis and the nervous system
Mesoderm
Germ layer that gives rise to the skeleto-muscular system, connective tissues, the blood, and internal organs such as the kidney and heart
Endoderm
Embryonic germ layer that gives rise to the gut and associated organs, such as the lungs and liver in vertibrates
Gastrulation
Process in animal embryos in which prospective endodermal and mesodermal cells move from the outer surface of the embryo to the inside, where they give rise to internal organs
Morphagen
a substance whose spatial concentration varies, and which induces different structures at different concentrations
Antisence probe
a labelled modified nucleic acid sequence used as a complement to locate a specific DNA or RNA sequence
Protease
an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller amino acid chains via hydrolysis
Germ Plasm
cytoplasm in the drosophila cells that is involved in the specification of germ cells
Promoter
a region of DNA immediately preceding a coding region to which RNA polymerase binds to in order to begin transcription of the gene
In Situ Hybridization
Using labelled complementary DNA, RNA or modified nucleic acids (probe) to localize a specific sequence of DNA or RNA in a portion or section of tissue
cDNA
double stranded DNA synthesized from a single stranded RNA template in reaction that is catalyzed by the enzyme reverse transcriptase
Blastoderm
a post-cleavage embryo composed of a solid layer of cells rather than a spherical blastula
Blastula
hollow ball of cells, composed of an epithelial layer of cells enclosing a fluid filled cavity (blastocoel)
Hybridization
The process by which single stranded DNA or RNA anneals to complementary DNA or RNA strands forming a double strand
Follicle Cells
somatic cells that surround the oocyte and nurse cells in the egg chamber during egg development
Pervitelline Space
space between the vitelline membrane lining the egg case and the egg plasma membrane in the fertilized eggs and early embryos of drosophila
Reporter Gene
A gene which known phenotype that is attached to another specific gene of interest in order to indicate weather that gene of interest has been taken up or expressed in that cell
Hybridization
The process by which single stranded DNA or RNA anneals to complementary DNA or RNA strands forming a double strand
Syncytium
A cell with many Nuclei in a common cytoplasm
Who first proposed Gradient controlling developmental axes?
Thomas Morgan, using the regeneration of annelid worms, found that the closer cut was to the anterior end the faster the head would regenerate. Simply put “head stuff diminishes posteriorly, tail stuff increases”
Who used an analogy of a mountain to demonstrate the effects of cytoplasmic gradients?
Leopold von Ubisch (1885-1965)
Who preformed the leaf hopper experiments and what were the results?
Klaus Sander (1960’s), found that:
- Removal of cytoplasm from anterior pole reduces head development
- Transferring of posterior cytoplasm to anterior pole reduces head development
- Transfer central cytoplasm to anterior pole reduces head development, but no less than 2
- Removal of anterior cytoplasm, and transfer of posterior has most severe effects
- Removal of posterior cytoplasm causes posterior defects
- Removal of central cytoplasm causes few defects
What did Klaus Sanders’ experiments suggest?
Two directive gradients exist, one from anterior, on from posterior and they inhibit one another
What are the 3 groups of maternal genes that define the initial anterior/posterior pattern in drosophila development?
Bicoid - effects anterior, Nanos - effects posterior,
Torso - effects terminal,
How were the Bicoid, Nanos, and Torso genes identified?
Loss of function Mutation
Loss of Function Mutation
systematically knocking out genes one by one and observing the phenotype
Northern Blots
Technique to study gene expression by detection of RNA or isolated mRNA in a sample
Western Blots
Technique to study gene expression by detection specific proteins in a sample
Name the Maternal posterior group genes
Nanos, Oskar, Pumilo, and Caudal
Which two genes define the posterior and anterior end?
Torso and Trunk
What kind of protein in Nanos?
RNA-binding protein which works with Pumillo protein to repress translation of hunchback
What is the protein product of Torso?
A receptor known as tyrosine kinase
Where is trunk secreted?
Into perivitelline space
What is the function of trunk?
A ligand for Torso receptor
What must first happend to truck in order for it be a ligand for Torso?
It must be cleaved into a trunk fragmant which acts a ligand for Torso
Where and from what type of cell is the protease for trunk cleavage located and how does that affect the activation of Torso?
Protease that cleaves trunk is secreted form the follicle cells adjacent to the anterior and posterior poles. Therefore Torso is only activated at the poles
What determines ventral identity of a cell?
Localization of dorsal protein to nucleus
What happens to loss-of function dorsal mutants?
They are dorsalized
Toll
Receptor for Spatzle, found throughout the perivitelline space
Spatzle
ligand for toll receptor that is activated in ventral side of perivitelline space
Gd
Gastrulation defective
Pipe
Heparan sulfate sulfontransferase
Nudel
A serine protease which cleaves Gd in the Spatzle/Toll chemical pathway
What cause the movement of Dorsal into the nuclei?
Activation of Toll receptor by Spatzle ligand
MTOC
microtubule organizing center, structure found in eurkaryotic cells from which microtubules emerge
Kinesin family Microtubule motor proteins
plus directed (away from MTOC)
Dynein family Microtubule motor proteins
minus directed (toward MTOC)
Germarium
reproductive structure in the adult female drosophila containing stem cells that give rise to a succession of egg chambers, each containing an oocyte
How is the Oocyte developed?
1 daughter of each stem cell in germarium undergoes 4x mitosis producing 16 cells connected by ring canals. These will become the 15 nurse cells and the 1 oocyte
Germline cyst
the 16-cell structure found in adult female drosophila that contains 15 nurse cells and 1 oocyte precursor, prior to meiosis
Ring canals
cyctoplasmic bridges between the cells of the Germline cyst
Which cell become the Occyte of the Germline cyst?
2 cells have 4 ring canals and are known as the pro-oocytes, both enter meiosis, accumulate centriloles and are arrested in prophase I. One becomes the oocyte and the other reverts to nurse cell fate