果蝇 syndecan 通过稳定 Robo 水平来调节气管细胞迁移。

Laboratory of Glycobiology and Developmental Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49 bus 602, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.

EMBO Rep. 2011 Sep 30;12(10):1039-46. doi: 10.1038/embor.2011.153.

Here we identify a new role for Syndecan (Sdc), the only transmembrane heparan sulphate proteoglycan in Drosophila, in tracheal development. Sdc is required cell autonomously for efficient directed migration and fusion of dorsal branch cells, but not for dorsal branch formation per se. The cytoplasmic domain of Sdc is dispensable, indicating that Sdc does not transduce a signal by itself. Although the branch-specific phenotype of sdc mutants resembles those seen in the absence of Slit/Robo2 signalling, genetic interaction experiments indicate that Sdc also helps to suppress Slit/Robo2 signalling. We conclude that Sdc cell autonomously regulates Slit/Robo2 signalling in tracheal cells to guarantee ordered directional migration and branch fusion.

在这里，我们确定了 Syndecan（Sdc）在果蝇气管发育中的一个新角色。Sdc 是唯一的跨膜肝素硫酸盐蛋白聚糖，它在背支细胞的有效定向迁移和融合中具有细胞自主性作用，但本身并不参与背支的形成。Sdc 的细胞质结构域是可有可无的，这表明 Sdc 本身不会转导信号。尽管 sdc 突变体的分支特异性表型类似于 Slit/Robo2 信号缺失时的表型，但遗传相互作用实验表明，Sdc 还有助于抑制 Slit/Robo2 信号。我们的结论是，Sdc 细胞自主性地调节气管细胞中的 Slit/Robo2 信号，以保证有序的定向迁移和分支融合。