Abstract
In Drosophila elaboration of positional identity along the anterior–posterior and dorsal-ventral embryonic body axes involves early zygotic gene functions that are expressed in response to maternal cues present in the unfertilized egg1. Zygotic loci that are required for the specification of positional identity along the anterior–posterior body axis have been described in detail2–9. Less is known about the zygotic loci responsible for differentiation of the dorsal–ventral pattern; however, several genes that might be involved have been identified3–5,10. Zerknüllt (zen) is an example of a zygotic gene required for correct differentiation of dorsally derived embryonic tissues10. On the basis of homoeo box cross homology, we have now isolated a gene, called S60, that derives from the zen region of the Antennapedia complex (ANT-C)7,10. Transcripts encoded by S60 transiently accumulate in the dorsal–most tissues of developing embryos. This pattern of expression suggests that S60 corresponds to zen. Since S60 contains a homoeo box, it is possible that differentiation of the anterior–posterior and dorsal–ventral embryonic patterns involves similar molecular mechanisms.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nüsslein-Volhard, C. in Determinants of Spatial Organization (eds Subtelney, S. & Konig-berg, I. R.) 185–211 (Academic, New York, 1979).
Nüsslein-Volhard, C. & Wieschaus, E. Nature 287, 795–801 (1980).
Nüsslein-Volhard, C., Wieschaus, E. & Kluding, H. Wilhelm Roux Arch. dev. BioL 193, 267–282 (1984).
Wieschaus, E., Nüsslein-Volhard, C. & Jürgens, G. Wilhelm Roux Arch. dev. BioL 193, 283–295 (1984).
Jürgens, G., Wieschaus, E., Nüsslein-Volhard, C. & Kluding, H. Wilhelm Roux Arch. dev. BioL 193, 296–307 (1984).
Lewis, E. B. Nature 276, 565–570 (1978).
Kaufman, T. C., Lewis, R. & Wakimoto, B. Genetics 94, 115–133 (1980).
Wakimoto, B. T. & Kaufman, T. C. Devl. BioL. 81, 51–64 (1981).
Ouweneel, W. H. Adv. Genet. 18, 179–205 (1976).
Wakimoto, B. T., Turner, F. R. & Kaufman, T. C. Devl. BioL 102, 147–172 (1984).
Bender, W. et al. Science 221, 23–29 (1983).
Garber, R. L., Kuroiwa, A. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 2, 2027–2036 (1983).
Scott, M. P. et al. Cell 35, 763–776 (1983).
McGinnis, W., Levine, M. S., Hafen, E., Kuroiwa, A. & Gehring, W. J. Nature 308, 428–433 (1984).
Fjose, A., McGinnis, W. & Gehring, W. J. Nature 313, 284–289 (1985).
Karch, F. et al. Cell 43, 81–96 (1985).
Kuner, J. M. et al. Cell 42, 309–316 (1985).
Regulski, M. et al. Cell 43, 71–80 (1985).
Mlodzik, M., Fjose, A. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 4, 2961–2969 (1985).
Hoey, T., Doyle, H. J., Harding, K., Wedeen, C. & Levine, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Set. U.S.A. 83, 4809–4813 (1986).
Levine, M. et al. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 50, 209–222 (1985).
Harding, K., Wedeen, C., McGinnis, W. & Levine, M. Science 229, 1236–1242 (1985).
Kuroiwa, A., Kloter, U., Baumgartner, P. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 4, 3757–3764 (1985).
Scott, M. P. & Weiner, A. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 4115–4120 (1984).
McGinnis, W., Garber, R. L., Wirz, J., Kuroiwa, A. & Gehring, W. J. Cell 37, 403–408 (1984).
Poole, S., Kauvar, L. M., Drees, B. & Kornberg, T. Cell 40, 37–43 (1985).
Zalokar, M. & Erk, F. J. MicrobioL Cell. 25, 97–106 (1976).
Foe, V. & Alberts, B. J. cell. Sci. 61, 31–70 (1983).
Poulson, D. F. in Biology of Drosophila (ed. Demersec, M.) 168–274 (Wiley, New York, 1950).
Campos-Ortega, J. A. & Hartenstein, V. The Embryonic Development of Drosophila melanogaster (Springer, Berlin, 1985).
Hafen, E., Levine, M. & Gehring, W. J. Nature 307, 287 (1984).
Struhl, G. & White, R. A. H. Cell 43, 507–519 (1985).
Wedeen, C., Harding, K. & Levine, M. Cell 44,739–748 (1986).
Howard, K. & Ingham, P. Cell 44, 949–957 (1986).
Anderson, K. V. & Nüsslein-Volhard, C. Nature 311, 223–227 (1984).
Anderson, K. V., Jürgens, G. & Nüsslein-Volhard, C. Cell 42, 779–789 (1985).
Lepesant, J. A., Kejzlarova-Lepesant, J. & Garen, A. Proc. natn. Acad. ScL U.S.A. 75, 5570–5574 (1978).
Rozek, C. E. & Davidson, N. Cell 32, 23–34 (1983).
Ingham, P. W., Howard, K. R. & Ish-Horowicz, D. Nature 318, 439–445 (1985).
Hafen, E., Levine, M., Garber, R. L. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 2, 617–623 (1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Doyle, H., Harding, K., Hoey, T. et al. Transcripts encoded by a homoeo box gene are restricted to dorsal tissues of Drosophila embryos. Nature 323, 76–79 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/323076a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/323076a0
This article is cited by
-
Components of the dorsal-ventral pathway also contribute to anterior-posterior patterning in honeybee embryos (Apis mellifera)
EvoDevo (2014)
-
Splits in fruitfly Hox gene complexes
Nature (1996)
-
Genetic regulation of CNC expression in the pharnygeal primordia ofDrosophila blastoderm embryos
Roux's Archives of Developmental Biology (1993)
-
Pattern formation in the developing eye of Drosophila melanogaster is regulated by the homoeo-box gene, rough
Nature (1988)
-
Divergent homeo box proteins recognize similar DNA sequences in Drosophila
Nature (1988)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
