Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved Crumbs protein is required for epithelial polarity and morphogenesis. Here we identify a novel role of Crumbs as a negative regulator of actomyosin dynamics during dorsal closure in the Drosophila embryo. Embryos carrying a mutation in the FERM (protein 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin) domain-binding motif of Crumbs die due to an overactive actomyosin network associated with disrupted adherens junctions. This phenotype is restricted to the amnioserosa and does not affect other embryonic epithelia. This function of Crumbs requires DMoesin, the Rho1-GTPase, class-I p21-activated kinases and the Arp2/3 complex. Data presented here point to a critical role of Crumbs in regulating actomyosin dynamics, cell junctions and morphogenesis.
Article and author information
Author details
Reviewing Editor
- K VijayRaghavan, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, India
Publication history
- Received: March 10, 2015
- Accepted: November 6, 2015
- Accepted Manuscript published: November 6, 2015 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: January 13, 2016 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2015, Flores-Benitez & Knust
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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