title: bendless, a Drosophila gene affecting neuronal connectivity, encodes a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homolog.
abstract: The Drosophila bendless (ben) gene was originally isolated as a mutation affecting the escape jump response. This behavioral defect was ascribed to a single lesion affecting the connectivity between the giant fiber and the tergotrochanter motor neuron. A closer examination of the ben phenotype suggests that ben activity is broader and affects a variety of other neurons including photoreceptor cells and their axons. Mosaic analysis indicates that the focus of ben activity is presynaptic. We have cloned the ben gene through a chromosomal walk and show that it is homologous to a class of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes. The major role of ubiquitination in the protein degradative pathway suggests that ben regulates neural developmental processes such as growth cone guidance by targeting specific proteins for degradation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Parasitology, University of California at Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benzer
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tanouye
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000502:physiology*; D005121:Extremities; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014452:Ubiquitins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014452:Ubiquitins