Mathematical modeling of sub-cellular asymmetry of fat-dachsous heterodimer for generation of planar cell polarity

PLoS One. 2014 May 19;9(5):e97641. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097641. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) is an evolutionarily conserved characteristic of animal tissues marked by coordinated polarization of cells or structures in the plane of a tissue. In insect wing epithelium, for instance, PCP is characterized by en masse orientation of hairs orthogonal to its apical-basal axis and pointing along the proximal-distal axis of the organ. Directional cue for PCP has been proposed to be generated by complex sets of interactions amongst three proteins - Fat (Ft), Dachsous (Ds) and Four-jointed (Fj). Ft and Ds are two atypical cadherins, which are phosphorylated by Fj, a Golgi kinase. Ft and Ds from adjacent cells bind heterophilically via their tandem cadherin repeats, and their binding affinities are regulated by Fj. Further, in the wing epithelium, sub-cellular levels of Ft-Ds heterodimers are seen to be elevated at the distal edges of individual cells, prefiguring their PCP. Mechanisms generating this sub-cellular asymmetry of Ft-Ds heterodimer in proximal and distal edges of cells, however, have not been resolved yet. Using a mathematical modeling approach, here we provide a framework for generation of this sub-cellular asymmetry of Ft-Ds heterodimer. First, we explain how the known interactions within Ft-Ds-Fj system translate into sub-cellular asymmetry of Ft-Ds heterodimer. Second, we show that this asymmetric localization of Ft-Ds heterodimer is lost when tissue-level gradient of Fj is flattened, or when phosphorylation of Ft by Fj is abolished, but not when tissue-level gradient of Ds is flattened or when phosphorylation of Ds is abrogated. Finally, we show that distal enrichment of Ds also amplifies Ft-Ds asymmetry. These observations reveal that gradient of Fj expression, phosphorylation of Ft by Fj and sub-cellular distal accumulation of Ds are three critical elements required for generating sub-cellular asymmetry of Ft-Ds heterodimer. Our model integrates the known experimental data and presents testable predictions for future studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cadherins / chemistry*
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / chemistry*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism
  • Cell Polarity / physiology*
  • Dimerization*
  • Drosophila / chemistry*
  • Drosophila / physiology
  • Drosophila Proteins / chemistry*
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Models, Biological*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Wings, Animal / metabolism

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • ds protein, Drosophila
  • fj protein, Drosophila
  • ft protein, Drosophila

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a project entitled 'Epithelial Morphogenesis and wound healing during animal development: Role of Fat cadherin in fruit fly Drosophila' sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi to Pradip Sinha No. SR/SO/AS-24/2008. Date: February 27, 2009. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.