Antibodies recognizing 20-hydroxyecdysone-dependent cell surface antigens during morphogenesis in Drosophila.

Polyclonal antibodies (anti-P116 and anti-P93) specific for two different hormone-dependent cell surface glycoproteins (P116 and P93) from Drosophila S3 cells have been produced. Anti-P116 and anti-P93 each immunoprecipitate substantially more of P116 and P93, respectively, from extracts of iodinated hormone-treated S3 cells compared to controls. Both antigens are present in control and 20-hydroxyecdysone treated imaginal discs, although apparent increases in antigen content are associated with hormone treatment. Immunofluorescent staining of whole discs with anti-P116 and anti-P93 reveals increased amounts of both antigens at the surface of hormone-treated discs compared to controls. Both antibodies were used to characterize the expression of their respective antigens during embryonic development, and both antibodies were found to recognize in embryos a third developmentally-regulated antigen with a relative mobility of approximately 220000. Our results indicate, at least in the case of P116 and P93, that 20-hydroxyecdysone-dependent cell surface antigens in imaginal discs may be regulated both by increasing the amounts of constitutively present proteins, and possibly through biochemical modifications, altering the localization of these proteins from a cytoplasmic to a cell surface domain.