This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bahri, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Chia, W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bahri, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Chia, W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Mol. Cell. Biol., 09 1997, 5521-5529, Vol 17, No. 9
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

The Drosophila bifocal gene encodes a novel protein which colocalizes with actin and is necessary for photoreceptor morphogenesis

SM Bahri, X Yang and W Chia
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Photoreceptor cells of the Drosophila compound eye begin to develop specialized membrane foldings at the apical surface in midpupation. The microvillar structure ultimately forms the rhabdomere, an actin-rich light-gathering organelle with a characteristic shape and morphology. In a P-element transposition screen, we isolated mutations in a gene, bifocal (bif), which is required for the development of normal rhabdomeres. The morphological defects seen in bif mutant animals, in which the distinct contact domains established by the newly formed rhabdomeres are abnormal, first become apparent during midpupal development. The later defects seen in the mutant adult R cells are more dramatic, with the rhabdomeres enlarged, elongated, and frequently split. bif encodes a novel putative protein of 1063 amino acids which is expressed in the embryo and the larval eye imaginal disc in a pattern identical to that of F actin. During pupal development, Bif localizes to the base of the filamentous actin associated with the forming rhabdomeres along one side of the differentiating R cells. On the basis of its subcellular localization and loss-of-function phenotype, we discuss possible roles of Bif in photoreceptor morphogenesis.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Zelhof, A. C., Hardy, R. W. (2004). WASp is required for the correct temporal morphogenesis of rhabdomere microvilli. JCB 164: 417-426 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Babu, K., Cai, Y., Bahri, S., Yang, X., Chia, W. (2004). Roles of Bifocal, Homer, and F-actin in anchoring Oskar to the posterior cortex of Drosophila oocytes. Genes Dev. 18: 138-143 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • CEULEMANS, H., BOLLEN, M. (2004). Functional Diversity of Protein Phosphatase-1, a Cellular Economizer and Reset Button. Physiol. Rev. 84: 1-39 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zelhof, A. C., Koundakjian, E., Scully, A. L., Hardy, R. W., Pounds, L. (2003). Mutation of the photoreceptor specific homeodomain gene Pph13 results in defects in phototransduction and rhabdomere morphogenesis. Development 130: 4383-4392 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zelhof, A. C., Bao, H., Hardy, R. W., Razzaq, A., Zhang, B., Doe, C. Q. (2001). Drosophila Amphiphysin is implicated in protein localization and membrane morphogenesis but not in synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Development 128: 5005-5015 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bergeret, E., Pignot-Paintrand, I., Guichard, A., Raymond, K., Fauvarque, M.-O., Cazemajor, M., Griffin-Shea, R. (2001). RotundRacGAP Functions with Ras during Spermatogenesis and Retinal Differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol. Cell. Biol. 21: 6280-6291 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dobie, K. W., Kennedy, C. D., Velasco, V. M., McGrath, T. L., Weko, J., Patterson, R. W., Karpen, G. H. (2001). Identification of Chromosome Inheritance Modifiers in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 157: 1623-1637 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Helps, N. R., Cohen, P. T. W., Bahri, S. M., Chia, W., Babu, K. (2001). Interaction with Protein Phosphatase 1 Is Essential for bifocal Function during the Morphogenesis of the Drosophila Compound Eye. Mol. Cell. Biol. 21: 2154-2164 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sisson, J. C., Field, C., Ventura, R., Royou, A., Sullivan, W. (2000). Lava Lamp, a Novel Peripheral Golgi Protein, Is Required for Drosophila melanogaster Cellularization. JCB 151: 905-918 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sun, Q, Bahri, S, Schmid, A, Chia, W, Zinn, K (2000). Receptor tyrosine phosphatases regulate axon guidance across the midline of the Drosophila embryo. Development 127: 801-812 [Abstract]  
  • Wahlstrom, G., Vartiainen, M., Yamamoto, L., Mattila, P. K., Lappalainen, P., Heino, T. I. (2001). Twinfilin is required for actin-dependent developmental processes in Drosophila. JCB 155: 787-796 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»