title: Eyes closed, a Drosophila p47 homolog, is essential for photoreceptor morphogenesis.
abstract: Starting with a mutation impacting photoreceptor morphogenesis, we identify here a Drosophila gene, eyes closed (eyc), as a fly homolog of p47, a protein co-factor of the p97 ATPase implicated in membrane fusion. Temporal misexpression of Eyc during rhabdomere extension early in pupal life results in inappropriate retention of normally transient adhesions between developing rhabdomeres. Later Eyc misexpression results in endoplasmic reticulum proliferation and inhibits rhodopsin transport to the developing photosensitive membrane. Loss of Eyc function results in a lethal failure of nuclear envelope assembly in early zygotic divisions. Phenotypes resulting from eyc mutations provide the first in vivo evidence for a role for p47 in membrane biogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Tzu-Kang
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Ready
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D052067:Soluble N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor Attachment Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: C445881:CG42383 protein, Drosophila; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D052067:Soluble N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor Attachment Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins