u-shaped encodes a zinc finger protein that regulates the proneural genes achaete and scute during the formation of bristles in Drosophila.
The pattern of the large sensory bristles on the notum of Drosophila arises as a consequence of the expression of the achaete and scute genes. The gene u-shaped encodes a novel zinc finger that acts as a transregulator of achaete and scute in the dorsal region of the notum. Viable hypomorphic u-shaped mutants display additional dorsocentral and scutellar bristles that result from overexpression of achaete and scute. In contrast, overexpression of u-shaped causes a loss of achaete-scute expression and consequently a loss of dorsal bristles. The effects on the dorsocentral bristles appear to be mediated through the enhancer sequences that regulate achaete and scute at this site. The effects of u-shaped mutants are similar to those of a class of dominant alleles of the gene pannier with which they display allele-specific interactions, suggesting that the products of both genes cooperate in the regulation of achaete and scute. A study of the sites at which the dorsocentral bristles arise in mosaic u-shaped nota, suggests that the levels of the u-shaped protein are crucial for the precise positioning of the precursors of these bristles.
Cubadda
Y
Y
Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale/Université Louis Pasteur, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France.
Heitzler
P
P
Ray
R P
RP
Bourouis
M
M
Ramain
P
P
Gelbart
W
W
Simpson
P
P
Haenlin
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C089199:ac protein, Drosophila; C109259:pnr protein, Drosophila; C089197:sc protein, Drosophila; C109258:ush protein, Drosophila