Egged On

Female fruit flies (Drosophila) lay up to 100 eggs per day. Each starts off round, then forms into – well, an egg shape – in a carefully timed process. There are parallels here with how human tissues mature, and Drosophila often share these clues with developmental biologists. Here they study the basement membrane – a sort of molecular corset that runs along the inside of the chamber (highlighted in red), squeezing the egg into shape with help from actin fibres (blue). Researchers know the basement membrane contains molecules of perlecan, collagen, laminin and nidogen but little is known about how they control these shape-shifting forces. Using genetic engineering to ‘knock down’ their effects, the team find different combinations of the four molecules help in ‘elongating’ the chamber, and keeping it from bursting while keeping the membrane itself rigid. Future research may look for similar chemical combinations in basement membranes shaping human tissues and organs.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Uwe Töpfer and colleagues
• Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
• Image supplied by and copyright held by Uwe Töpfer and colleagues
• Published in Development, May 2022