title: A Drosophila homolog of human proto-oncogene ret transiently expressed in embryonic neuronal precursor cells including neuroblasts and CNS cells.
abstract: We have identified a Drosophila gene encoding a putative receptor tyrosine kinase by screening a genomic DNA library with a DNA probe for a Drosophila homolog of fibroblast growth factor receptors. The newly isolated gene codes for a transmembrane protein most similar in sequence to a mammalian proto-oncogene ret; thus, the gene was termed Dret. Dret mRNA is transcribed in very small amounts in the embryonic, larval, and pupal stages. Whole mount in situ hybridization experiments revealed that the mRNA is transiently expressed in neuroblasts in early embryos. In late embryos, Dret mRNA was detected in subpopulations of differentiating CNS and PNS cells. In addition, Dret expression was affected in neurogenic mutants. These results suggest that Dret can be considered as a functional homolog of mammalian ret and should play important roles in neurogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sugaya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishimaru
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosoya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saigo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Emori
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D011679:Pupa; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila