title: Dynamic expression of d-CdGAPr, a novel Drosophila melanogaster gene encoding a GTPase activating protein.
abstract: Small GTPases of the rho family function as signal transducer for extra-cellular stimuli to control cytoskeletal re-organization and a variety of other cellular processes including adhesion, proliferation and transcriptional regulation (Hall, A., 1998. RhoGTPases and the actin cytoskeleton. Science 279, 509-514). Usually widely expressed, their activities are tightly controlled by conformational changes induced by hydrolysis of the GTP bound molecule (Bourne H.R., Sanders D.A., 1990. The GTPase superfamily: a conserved switch for diverse cell functions. Nature 348, 125-132). Conversion of GTP to GDP relies on a rho intrinsic GTPase domain that requires GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) for potent activity (Lamarche, N., Hall. A., 1994. GAPs for rho-related GTPases. Trends Genet. 10, 436-440). Here we report on the identification of a novel Drosophila GAP gene, d-CdGAPr, encoding a protein related to mammalian CdGAPs. The gene is expressed throughout development as well as in adults. Spatio-temporal transcription pattern of d-CdGAPr during embryogenesis is highly dynamic. Abundant in the pre-blastoderm embryo prior to the onset of zygotic transcription, messengers accumulate at the blastoderm posterior pole after cellularisation. During gastrulation and subsequent development, all cells accumulate low levels of d-CdGAPr RNA, while a few territories transiently display stronger expression. Sites of preferential expression include the posterior pole of the early cellular blastoderm, the neuro-ectoderm prior to neuroblast delamination, rows of epidermal cells in the most posterior part of thoracic and first abdominal segments and a ring of epidermal cells at the posterior end of the embryo.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, CNRS/INSERM/Université de la Méditerranée, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sagnier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grienenberger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mariol
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bérenger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pradel
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Graba
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: C414095:CdGAPr protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins