The transcriptional factor CF2 is a mediator of EGF-R-activated dorsoventral patterning in Drosophila oogenesis.
Establishment of dorsoventral polarity during Drosophila oogenesis requires localized intercellular communication between the follicular cells and the oocyte. This is initiated by the transmission of a "dorsal signal" from the oocyte to the anterior dorsal follicle cells by the EGF receptor (EGF-R) pathway and is followed by transmission of a second signal from the ventral follicle cells back to the embryo. We show that the zinc finger transcription factor CF2 participates in these processes. CF2 is suppressed by EGF-R signaling in the anterior dorsal follicle cells. Altered expression patterns of CF2 result in specific dorsoventral patterning defects in egg chambers and in embryos, as demonstrated phenotypically and with molecular markers. CF2 appears to act as a repressor of dorsal follicle cell fates and specifically as a repressor of the rhomboid gene transcription.
Hsu
T
T
Department of Experimental Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, 29425, USA.
Bagni
C
C
Sutherland
J D
JD
Kafatos
F C
FC
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D008297:Male; D009030:Mosaicism; D009035:Mothers; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C076904:Cf2 protein, Drosophila; D066246:ErbB Receptors