Breaking a temporal barrier: signalling crosstalk regulates the initiation of border cell migration

Correct timing of developmental events is crucial for generating a normal organism. during oogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, migration of border cells occurs in a defined temporal window and requires Jak/stat and steroid hormone signalling. The initiation of border-cell migration is now shown to be timed by Jak/stat-mediated downregulation of the BTB domain transcriptional regulator abrupt, which acts as a negative regulator of steroid hormone signalling.