The relative expression amounts of apterous and its co-factor dLdb/Chip are critical for dorso-ventral compartmentalization in the Drosophila wing.
Dorso-ventral axis formation in the Drosophila wing requires the localized accumulation of the Apterous LIM/homeodomain protein (Ap) in dorsal cells. Here we report that dLdb/Chip encodes a LIM-binding cofactor that controls Ap activity. Both lack and excess of dLdb/Chip function cause the same phenotype as apterous (ap) lack of function; i.e. dorsal to ventral transformations, generation of new wing margins, and wing outgrowths. These results indicate that the normal function of Ap in dorso-ventral compartmentalization requires the correct amount of the DLDB/CHIP co-factor, and suggest that the Ap and DLDB/CHIP proteins form a multimeric functional complex. In support of this model, we show that the dLdb/Chip excess-of-function phenotypes can be rescued by ap overexpression.
Fernández-Fúnez
P
P
Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Lu
C H
CH
Rincón-Limas
D E
DE
García-Bellido
A
A
Botas
J
J
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D019521:Body Patterning; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D051379:Mice; D009030:Mosaicism; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014921:Wings, Animal
C108740:Chi protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C074459:ap protein, Drosophila