Function of the spalt/spalt-related gene complex in positioning the veins in the Drosophila wing.
Spalt and Spalt-related encode conserved Zn-finger proteins that mediate the function of the TGF-beta molecule Decapentaplegic during the positioning of veins in the Drosophila wing. Here we show that Spalt and Spalt-related regulate the vein-specific expression of the transcription factors of the knirps and iroquois gene complexes, delimiting their domains of expression in the wing pouch. The effects of spalt/spalt-related mutations on knirps and iroquois expression are cell-autonomous, suggesting that they could be direct. The regulation of iroquois involves transcriptional repression by Spalt and Spalt-related, whereas the regulation of knirps involves a combination of transcriptional activation and repression mediated by the same genes. We suggest that the regulation of the iroquois and knirps gene complexes by Spalt and Spalt-related translates the Decapentaplegic morphogenetic gradient into precisely spaced pattern elements.
de Celis
J F
JF
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany. jdc@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Barrio
R
R
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000254:growth & development; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C099258:caup protein, Drosophila; C074089:kni protein, Drosophila; C085793:salm protein, Drosophila