The Nudel Protease of Drosophila Is Required for Eggshell Biogenesis in Addition to Embryonic Patterning

The dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is defined by a ventral signal that arises within the perivitelline space, an extracellular compartment between the embryo plasma membrane and the vitelline membrane layer of the eggshell. Production of the ventral signal requires four members of the se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental biology 2000-01, Vol.217 (2), p.352-361
Main Authors: LeMosy, Ellen K., Hashimoto, Carl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Body Patterning
Cell Membrane Permeability
cross-linking
Cross-Linking Reagents
Drosophila - embryology
Drosophila Proteins
egg activation
embryonic dorsoventral polarity
Enzyme Activation
Nudel
Serine Endopeptidases - genetics
Serine Endopeptidases - metabolism
serine protease
Signal Transduction
vitelline membrane
Vitelline Membrane - physiology
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Summary:The dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is defined by a ventral signal that arises within the perivitelline space, an extracellular compartment between the embryo plasma membrane and the vitelline membrane layer of the eggshell. Production of the ventral signal requires four members of the serine protease family, including a large modular protein with a protease domain encoded by the nudel gene. Here we provide evidence that the Nudel protease has an integral role in eggshell biogenesis. Mutations in nudel that disrupt Nudel protease function produce eggs having vitelline membranes that are abnormally permeable to the dye neutral red. Permeability varies among mutant nudel alleles but correlates with levels of Nudel protease catalytic activity and function in embryonic dorsoventral patterning. These mutations also block cross-linking of vitelline membrane proteins that normally occurs upon egg activation, just prior to fertilization. In addition, Nudel protease autoactivation temporally coincides with vitelline membrane cross-linking and can be triggered in mature eggs in vitro by conditions that lead to egg activation. We discuss how the Nudel protease might be involved in both eggshell biogenesis and embryonic patterning.
ISSN:0012-1606
1095-564X
DOI:10.1006/dbio.1999.9562