The Drosophila stonewall gene encodes a putative transcription factor essential for germ cell development.
The differentiation of Drosophila germ cells is a useful model for studying mechanisms of cell specification. We report the identification of a gene, stonewall, that is required for germ cell development. Mutations in stonewall block proper oocyte differentiation and frequently cause the presumptive oocyte to develop as a nurse cell. Eventually, germ cells degenerate apoptotically. Stonewall is a germ cell nuclear protein; Stonewall has a DNA binding domain that shows similarities to the Myb and Adf-1 transcription factors and has other features that suggest that it is a transcription activating factor. We suggest that Stonewall transcriptional regulation is essential in cystocytes for maturation into specialized nurse cells and oocyte.
Clark
K A
KA
Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9038, USA.
McKearin
D M
DM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D019077:Helix-Turn-Helix Motifs; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009866:Oogenesis; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C098675:stwl protein, Drosophila