The legacy of Drosophila imaginal discs
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Author / Producer
Date
2016-09
Publication Type
Review Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
The study of Drosophila imaginal discs has contributed to a number of discoveries in developmental and cellular biology. In addition to the elucidation of the role of tissue compartments and organ-specific master regulator genes during development, imaginal discs have also become well established as models for studying cellular interactions and complex genetic pathways. Here, we review key discoveries resulting from investigations of these epithelial precursor organs, ranging from cell fate determination and transdetermination to tissue patterning. Furthermore, the design of increasingly sophisticated genetic tools over the last decades has added value to the use of imaginal discs as model systems. As a result of tissue-specific genetic screens, several components of developmentally regulated signaling pathways were identified and epistasis revealed the levels at which they function. Discs have been widely used to assess cellular interactions in their natural tissue context, contributing to a better understanding of growth regulation, tissue regeneration, and cancer. With the continuous implementation of novel tools, imaginal discs retain significant potential as model systems to address emerging questions in biology and medicine.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
125 (4)
Pages / Article No.
573 - 592
Publisher
Springer
Event
Edition / version
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Drosophila; Imaginal discs; Patterning; Regeneration; Tumor model
Organisational unit
03748 - Paro, Renato (emeritus) / Paro, Renato (emeritus)
Notes
It was possible to publish this article open access thanks to a Swiss National Licence with the publisher.
Funding
143922 - Mechanisms of transcriptional memory in response to developmental and environmental stimuli (SNF)