Fraction of wing cells that are hexagonal

Range developing pupal wing 45% shortly before hair formation ≤80% %
Organism Fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
Reference Lecuit T, Lenne PF. Cell surface mechanics and the control of cell shape, tissue patterns and morphogenesis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 Aug8(8):633-44. p.641 right column top paragraphPubMed ID17643125
Primary Source Classen AK, Anderson KI, Marois E, Eaton S. Hexagonal packing of Drosophila wing epithelial cells by the planar cell polarity pathway. Dev Cell. 2005 Dec9(6):805-17.PubMed ID16326392
Comments P.641 left column bottom paragraph:"Although interacting cells can form ordered patterns such as a perfectly regular hexagonal lattice (for example, in the D. melanogaster retina), most tissues also contain several pentagons and heptagons that contribute to an apparent geometric disorder (FIG. 2b). Topological changes that involve remodelling of cell–cell contacts can be accompanied with a change in geometric disorder. During cell intercalation in D. melanogaster, tetragonal, pentagonal and heptagonal cells increase at the expense of hexagonal cells, thus producing an increased disorder [ref 89]. Conversely, in the developing D. melanogaster pupal wing, the initially disordered tissue (45% hexagons) becomes highly ordered, with up to 80% hexagons [primary source]. This ordering of the tissue is controlled by the planar-cell polarity pathway and requires intercellular junction shrinkage and regrowth, and E-cadherin recycling through the endocytic pathway."
Entered by Uri M
ID 112083