High impact information on Pvf1

• The oocyte is the source of a ligand for PVR, PDGF/VEGF factor 1 (PVF1) [1].
• In addition, the secreted growth factors called PVFs, previously thought to guide the migrations of hemocytes in the embryo, were found to function instead predominantly as survival factors [2].
• Although the receptor is broadly distributed in this tissue, two of its ligands, PVF1 and PVF3 are specifically deposited within the apical extracellular space, implying that polarized apical activation of the receptor takes place [3].
• PVF1, a growth factor related to platelet-derived growth factor and vascular-endothelial growth factor, contributes to guiding the border cells to the oocyte [4].
• We tested the ability of PVF1, as well as other factors such as Gurken, to guide the border cells to new targets [4].

Biological context of Pvf1

• Flies hemizygous for the apoptotic genes hid, reaper and grim, or mutant for puckered which encodes a phosphatase that down-regulates the n-Jun-N terminal kinase pathway, lead to the same phenotypes as mutations in PVF1/PVR [5].
• PVF1/PVR signaling and apoptosis promotes the rotation and dorsal closure of the Drosophila male terminalia [5].
• The Drosophila factor (DmVEGF-1) gene has two splice variants and is expressed during all stages, the signal distribution during embryogenesis being ubiquitous [6].

Anatomical context of Pvf1

• We demonstrate that the migratory patterns of hemocytes at the embryonic ventral midline are orchestrated by chemotactic signals from the PDGF/VEGF ligands Pvf2 and -3 and that these directed migrations occur independently of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling [7].

Other interactions of Pvf1

• Our results indicate that PVF1/PVR signaling functions not only in apoptotic phenomena but are also required during rotation and dorsal closure of the Drosophila male genital disc [5].
• We developed an assay to detect the ability of secreted factors to reroute migrating border cells in vivo and tested the activity of EGFR ligands compared to PVF1 [8].

References