Regulating morphogen gradients in the Drosophila wing

Abstract

During development, diffusible ligands, known as morphogens, are thought to move across fields of cells, regulating gene expression in a concentration dependent manner. The case for morphogens has been convincingly made for the Decapentapleigic (Dpp), Wingless (Wg) and Hedgehog (Hh) proteins in the Drosophila wing. In each case, the concentration of the morphogen's receptor plays an important role in shaping the morphogen gradient, through influencing ligand transport and/or stability. However, the relationships between each ligand/receptor pair are different. The role of heparan sulfated proteoglycans, endocytosis and novel exovesicles called argosomes in regulating morphogen distribution will also be discussed.