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Published Online September 4, 2003
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1087419

Reports

Submitted on May 30, 2003
Accepted on August 21, 2003

Essential Roles for Ecdysone Signaling During Drosophila Mid-Embryonic Development

Tatiana Kozlova 1* Carl S. Thummel 1

1 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North 2030 East Room 5100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5331, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tkozlova{at}cas.usf.edu.

Although functions for the steroid hormone ecdysone during Drosophila metamorphosis have been well established, roles for the embryonic ecdysone pulse remain poorly understood. We show that the EcR-USP ecdysone receptor is first activated in the extraembryonic amnioserosa, implicating this tissue as a source of active ecdysteroids in the early embryo. Ecdysone signaling is required for germband retraction and head involution, morphogenetic movements that shape the first instar larva. This mechanism for coordinating morphogenesis during Drosophila embryonic development parallels the role of ecdysone during metamorphosis. It also provides an intriguing parallel with the role of mammalian extraembryonic tissues as a critical source of steroid hormones for embryonic development.


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