DWnt-4, a novel Drosophila Wnt gene acts downstream of homeotic complex genes in the visceral mesoderm.
Wnt genes encode putative cell signalling proteins which play crucial roles during development. From a library of DNA fragments associated, in vivo, with Ultrabithorax proteins, we isolated a novel Drosophila Wnt gene, DWnt-4. Neither a paralog nor an ortholog of the gene exist in the current repertoire of full-length Wnt sequences. DWnt-4 maps close (30 kb) to wingless, suggesting that the two Wnt genes derive from a duplication that occurred early in evolution, since they are significantly diverged in sequence and structure. Developmental expression of DWnt-4 partially overlaps that of wingless. The gene is transcribed following a segment polarity-like pattern in the posterior-most cells of each parasegment of the ectoderm, and at two locations that correspond to parasegments 4 and 8 of the visceral mesoderm. The control of DWnt-4 expression in the visceral mesoderm involves a network of regulatory molecules that includes Ultrabithorax and other proteins from the homeotic complex (HOM-C), as well as the TGF-beta decapentaplegic gene product.
Graba
Y
Y
Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, CNRS, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France.
Gieseler
K
K
Aragnol
D
D
Laurenti
P
P
Mariol
M C
MC
Berenger
H
H
Sagnier
T
T
Pradel
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051155:Wnt1 Protein
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066177:Ubx protein, Drosophila; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila