Migration of Drosophila germ cells: analysis using enhancer trap lines

Abstract

Cell migration is a common feature of development. In order to understand more about the factors that control these movements we have embarked on further analysis of the migration of Drosophila germ cells. This process involves passage of the germ cells across the gut primordium and migration toward the mesoderm where the somatic gonad forms. We are particularly interested in the early phase of this migration when the germ cells interact with the amnioproctodeal invagination, the developing gut, before entering into association with the mesoderm. We will summarize the results of our and other studies of these events before describing a number of enhancer trap lines which show expression in the amnioproctodeal invagination during the early phase of germ cell migration. These reveal more about the complexity of this tissue and suggest this tissue is capable of guiding the early phase of germ cell migration.

Identification and Genetic Analysis of wunen, a Gene Guiding Drosophila melanogaster Germ Cell Migration

“…To visualize the somatic gonad, stained embryos were further processed using digoxigenin-labeled in situ probes to transcripts of the 412 transposon (BROOKMAN et al 1992). For the developing gut we used either the enhancer trap line 4850 (HOWARD et al 1993) or f o r k h a d (WEIGEL et al 1989) nucleic acid probes prepared by PCR.…”