The epithelial cells that are developing egg cells in the ovary of Drosophila.
The epithelial cells that are developing egg cells in the ovary of Drosophila.
The special connection between adjacent cells ensures that these cell barriers are stable and tight on the one hand, thereby protecting the body and organs from pathogens; on the other hand, they are still permeable to specific substances or migrating cells.
Recently, scientists at the University of Münster in Germany studied a similar process in the ovaries of fruit flies.
In order to visualize these cellular processes and analyze the molecular mechanisms behind them, the scientists tagged certain Drosophila proteins with fluorescent molecules and examined the living tissues using a confocal laser scanning microscope.
The researchers found that at the point where the three cells meet, the epithelial cells loosen their connection in a controlled manner, and the vitellin is transported to the egg cell through the resulting gap.
"Our findings help to better understand how the cell barrier functions and reorganize during development, which provides a basis for deciphering the mechanisms of certain pathological processes.
Related papers were recently published in "Developmental Cells".
Related paper information: http://dx.
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