Examination of transcriptional regulation and functional roles of axon guidance receptors in Drosophila dorsal vessel formation

Abstract

Early steps of cardiogenesis in vertebrates and invertebrates are similar in that in both systems, bilateral rows of cardiac progenitors migrate towards a point where the two rows meet and make a tubular structure. As with any other developmental processes, proper cardiac migration requires proper guidance of progenitors towards the target position. Drosophila dorsal vessel (DV; Drosophila equivalent of heart) progenitors have been shown to express a number of surface molecules found to be important for axon projection, implying that migration of these cells also requires guidance.