Abstract
Much has already been discovered about the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway and its involvement in patterning and tissue development in embryos, but the specific functions its key components play has not yet been fully elucidated. One potential component is the protein kinase Dop, which is involved in cellular trafficking. Here, I examine whether Dop’s role in cellular transport has an impact on Hh signal transduction. Immunofluorescent staining experiments were carried out on wing imaginal discs in which dop gene expression was knocked down by RNAi or removed in clones mutant for dop. Discs were assayed for their morphology, the distribution of Hh pathway components and the expression of Hh target genes. Results show that clones mutant for dop have peculiar phenotypic effects including long actin rich projections, while dop knockdown in the posterior compartment seems to specifically affect short-range Hh signaling and the activation of ptc.