Requirement of MADS domain transcription factor D-MEF2 for muscle formation in Drosophila.
Members of the myocyte enhancer binding factor-2 (MEF2) family of MADS (MCM1, agamous, deficiens, and serum response factor) box transcription factors are expressed in the skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle lineages of vertebrate and Drosophila embryos. These factors bind an adenine-thymidine-rich DNA sequence associated with muscle-specific genes. The function of MEF2 was determined by generating a loss-of-function of the single mef2 gene in Drosophila (D-mef2). In loss-of-function embryos, somatic, cardiac, and visceral muscle cells did not differentiate, but myoblasts were normally specified and positioned. These results demonstrate that different muscle cell types share a common myogenic differentiation program controlled by MEF2.
Lilly
B
B
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
Zhao
B
B
Ranganayakulu
G
G
Paterson
B M
BM
Schulz
R A
RA
Olson
E N
EN
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016296:Mutagenesis; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D009218:Myosins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C061565:Fas3 protein, Drosophila; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C499409:Mef2 protein, Drosophila; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009218:Myosins