Research report 2010 - Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Germ cell migration: Even cells need a travel guide

Authors
Renault, Andrew
Departments
Research Group Extracellular Lipid Signaling in Drosophila Development
Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen
Summary
How a single cell gives rise to a complex multicellular embryo is a fascinating question in biology. This process involves coordination of cell division, differentiation and migration. We investigate the embryonic development of the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, and focus on studies of cell migration and in particular of germ cells, the cells that give rise to sperm and egg cells. This report describes how lipids play a crucial role in regulating the survival and migration of Drosophila germ cells and which biological principles we can learn from this research.

For the full text, see the German version.

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