Changes in cell shape in the ventral neuroectoderm of Drosophila melanogaster depend on the activity of the achaete-scute complex genes.
In the embryonic ventral neuroectoderm of Drosophila melanogaster the proneural genes achaete, scute, and lethal of scute are expressed in clusters of cells from which the neuroblasts delaminate in a stereotyped orthogonal array. Analyses of the ventral neuroectoderm before and during delamination of the first two populations of neuroblasts show that cells in all regions of proneural gene activity change their form prior to delamination. Furthermore, the form changes in the neuroectodermal cells of embryos lacking the achaete-scute complex, of embryos mutant for the neurogenic gene Delta, and of embryos overexpressing l'sc suggest that these genes are responsible for most of the morphological alterations observed.
Stollewerk
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Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Universität Köln, Gyrhofstrasse 17, D-50923 Cologne, Germany. astollew@novell.biolan.uni-koeln.de
D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D048429:Cell Size / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D006720:Homozygote; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D014157:Transcription Factors; C089199:ac protein, Drosophila; C089200:l(1)sc protein, Drosophila; C089197:sc protein, Drosophila