Rho-Kinase Directs Bazooka/Par-3 Planar Polarity during Drosophila Axis Elongation

• Published in: Developmental cell 2010-09, Vol.19 (3), p.377-388
• Main Authors: Simões, Sérgio de Matos, Blankenship, J. Todd, Weitz, Ori, Farrell, Dene L., Tamada, Masako, Fernandez-Gonzalez, Rodrigo, Zallen, Jennifer A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Body Patterning; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Cell physiology; Cell Polarity; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Embryo, Nonmammalian - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Male; Molecular and cellular biology; Myosin Type II - genetics; Myosin Type II - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase C - genetics; Protein Kinase C - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; rho-Associated Kinases - physiology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Transgenes - physiology
• ISSN: 1534-5807; 1878-1551
• DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2010.08.011

Cell rearrangements shape the Drosophila embryo via spatially regulated changes in cell shape and adhesion. We show that Bazooka/Par-3 (Baz) is required for the planar polarized distribution of myosin II and adherens junction proteins and polarized intercalary behavior is disrupted in baz mutants. The myosin II activator Rho-kinase is asymmetrically enriched at the anterior and posterior borders of intercalating cells in a pattern complementary to Baz. Loss of Rho-kinase results in expansion of the Baz domain, and activated Rho-kinase is sufficient to exclude Baz from the cortex. The planar polarized distribution of Baz requires its C-terminal domain. Rho-kinase can phosphorylate this domain and inhibit its interaction with phosphoinositide membrane lipids, suggesting a mechanism by which Rho-kinase could regulate Baz association with the cell cortex. These results demonstrate that Rho-kinase plays an instructive role in planar polarity by targeting Baz/Par-3 and myosin II to complementary cortical domains. ► Rho-kinase is required for Baz/Par-3 planar polarity in the early Drosophila embryo ► Rho-kinase phosphorylates Baz in vitro on its C-terminal domain ► The Baz C-terminal domain is required for planar polarity in vivo ► Baz is required for polarized cell behavior during Drosophila axis elongation