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doi: 10.1242/10.1242/dev.00242

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Functional subdivision of trunk visceral mesoderm parasegments in Drosophila is required for gut and trachea development

Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: saigo{at}biochem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp)

Accepted 31 October 2002

In Drosophila, trunk visceral mesoderm, a derivative of dorsal mesoderm, gives rise to circular visceral muscles. It has been demonstrated that the trunk visceral mesoderm parasegment is subdivided into at least two domains by connectin expression, which is regulated by Hedgehog and Wingless emanating from the ectoderm. We now extend these findings by examining a greater number of visceral mesodermal genes, including hedgehog and branchless. Each visceral mesodermal parasegment appears to be divided into five or six regions, based on differences in expression patterns of these genes. Ectodermal Hedgehog and Wingless differentially regulate the expression of these metameric targets in trunk visceral mesoderm. hedgehog expression in trunk visceral mesoderm is responsible for maintaining its own expression and con expression. hedgehog expressed in visceral mesoderm parasegment 3 may also be required for normal decapentaplegic expression in this region and normal gastric caecum development. branchless expressed in each trunk visceral mesodermal parasegment serves as a guide for the initial budding of tracheal visceral branches. The metameric pattern of trunk visceral mesoderm, organized in response to ectodermal instructive signals, is thus maintained at a later time via autoregulation, is required for midgut morphogenesis and exerts feedback effect on trachea, ectodermal derivatives.

Key words: Drosophila melanogaster, Visceral mesoderm, Visceral mesoderm parasegment, hedgehog, wingless, branchless, tinman, decapentaplegic, Trachea, Gastric caecum

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