Drosophila Migration Gene Screens

Identification of downstream targets of transcription factors required for border cell migration

slbo-mut-non-migratory cells

Ovaries were dissected from slbo mutant Drosophila females and dissociated into single cells as described. The border cells and centripetal cells (i.e. migratory cells) were removed and RNA was isolated from the remaining cells (i.e., non-migratory cells). The RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA and converted into a labeled cRNA "target" which was used to interrogate Affymetrix whole genome microarrays.

This is a control data set. There should be few or no differences between the non-migratory cells of wild-type and slbo mutants because slbo expression is restricted to the migratory cells.

slbo-mut-migratory cells

Border cells and centripetal cells (two migratory cell types) were purified from dissociated ovaries that were dissected from slbo mutant Drosophila females, as described. RNA was isolated from the purified cells, reverse transcribed into cDNA and converted into a labeled cRNA "target" which was used to interrogate Affymetrix whole genome microarrays.

This data set, when compared to the wt-migratory cells should reveal slbo target genes (direct and indirect).

Compare mRNA expression in slbo-mut-migratory vs wt-migratory cells.

These data have been published in Wang X, Bo J, Bridges T, Dugan KD, Pan T-C, Chodosh L, Montell DJ. Analysis of cell migration using whole genome expression profiling of migratory cells in the Drosophila ovary. Dev Cell 2006; 10 (4):483-95 PubMed

Rørth and colleagues have also shed light on how border cells switch from a stationary to a migratory behavior in their publication, Borghese L, Fletcher G, Mathieu J, Atzberger A, Eades WC, Cagan RL, Rørth P. Systematic analysis of the transcriptional switch inducing migration of border cells Dev. Cell Dev Cell 2006; 10 (4):497-508 PubMed. The array data from this publication can also be viewed at Array Express. Please enter experiment accession number E-MEXP-493.