Identification of functions of DWnt4 gene in ventral epidermis of embryos and abdomen of adult Drosophila during development

Abstract

 

Wnt protein forms a multigenic family secreting signaling
molecules important for various key developmental events
in animals. Wingless (wg) is the prototype member of Wnt
gene family, while DWnt4 has been identified recently from
a clonal library of proteins associated in vivo with Ubx
protein. DWnt4 has been reported to function in embryo
epidermis patterning, female gonade development, motor
neuron axon guidance. In this study, validation was done
for some reported functions of DWnt4 with ectopic
expression and identified some novel functions using RNA
interference. Knockdown of DWnt4 caused in ventral
ectoderm reduced denticles with loss of one or two rows
or entire denticle belt. Loss of DWnt4 also loss of polarity
of wing hairs, loss of wing veins and notched wing
phenotype. All the bristles from adult abdomen were lost
when DWnt4 was driven with ubiquitous driver actineGal4.
Tissue specific drivers enGal4 caused loss of polarity of
dorsal tergite bristles and patches of tergites from adult
abdomen. Thus, the DWnt4 seems to function in the
cuticular differentiation of adult abdomen polarity of
tergites bristles in Drosophila.