Modulation of Drosophila retinal epithelial integrity by the adhesion proteins Capricious and Tartan

Abstract

Background: The development of the Drosophila eye imaginal disc requires complex epithelial rearrangements. Cells of the morphogenetic furrow are apically constricted and this leads to a physical indentation in the epithelium. Posterior to the furrow, cells that to rearrange into distinct clusters and eventually form a precisely patterned array of ommatidis. These morphogenetic processes include regulated changes of adhesion between cells. Methodology/principal findings: Here, we show that two transmembrane adhesion proteins, Capricious and Tartan, have dynamic and complementary expression patterns in the eye imaginal disc. We also desribe novel null mutations in capricious and double null mutations in capricious and tartan. We report that they have redundant functions in regulating the architecture of the morphonegetic furrow and ommatidial spacing. Conclusions/significance: We conclude that Capricious and Tartan contribute to the adhesive properties of the cells in the morphogenetic furrow and that this regulated adhesion participates in the control of spacing ommatidial clusters. © 2008 Mao et al.