title: twist: a myogenic switch in Drosophila.
abstract: Somatic muscle is derived from a subset of embryonic mesoderm. In Drosophila, Twist (Twi), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is a candidate regulator of mesodermal differentiation and myogenesis. Altering amounts of Twist after gastrulation revealed that high levels of Twist are required for somatic myogenesis and block the formation of other mesodermal derivatives. Expression of twist in the ectoderm drives these cells into myogenesis. Thus, after an initial role in gastrulation, twist regulates mesodermal differentiation and propels a specific subset of mesodermal cells into somatic myogenesis. Vertebrate homologs of twist may also participate in the subdivision of mesoderm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Baylies
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bate
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005775:Gastrula / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs / Q000502:physiology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497753:Twi protein, Drosophila; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1