mago nashi mediates the posterior follicle cell-to-oocyte signal to organize axis formation in Drosophila.
Establishment of the anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes in the Drosophila egg chamber requires reciprocal signaling between the germ line and soma. Upon activation of the Drosophila EGF receptor in the posterior follicle cells, these cells signal back to the oocyte, resulting in a reorganization of the oocyte cytoplasm and anterodorsal migration of the oocyte nucleus. We demonstrate that the gene mago nashi (mago) encodes an evolutionarily conserved protein that must be localized within the posterior pole plasm for germ-plasm assembly and Caenorhabditis elegans mago is a functional homologue of Drosophila mago. In the absence of mago+ function during oogenesis, the anteroposterior and dorsoventral coordinates of the oocyte are not specified and the germ plasm fails to assemble.
Newmark
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PA
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0347, USA.
Mohr
S E
SE
Gong
L
L
Boswell
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RE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016547:Kinesins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics; D008870:Microtubules; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C107372:Mago protein, Drosophila; C491493:Magoh protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; C056478:bcd protein, Drosophila; C083730:grk protein, Drosophila; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D016547:Kinesins