The bric à brac locus consists of two paralogous genes encoding BTB/POZ domain proteins and acts as a homeotic and morphogenetic regulator of imaginal development in Drosophila.
The bric à brac (bab) locus acts as a homeotic and morphogenetic regulator in the development of ovaries, appendages and the abdomen. It consists of two structurally and functionally related genes, bab1 and bab2, each of which encodes a single nuclear protein. Bab1 and Bab2 have two conserved domains in common, a BTB/POZ domain and a Psq domain, a motif that characterizes a subfamily of BTB/POZ domain proteins in Drosophila. The tissue distribution of Bab1 and Bab2 overlaps, with Bab1 being expressed in a subpattern of Bab2. Analysis of a series of mutations indicates that the two bab genes have synergistic, distinct and redundant functions during imaginal development. Interestingly, several reproduction-related traits that are sexually dimorphic or show diversity among Drosophila species are highly sensitive to changes in the bab gene dose, suggesting that alterations in bab activity may contribute to evolutionary modification of sex-related morphology.
Couderc
Jean-Louis
JL
INSERM UMR 384, Laboratoire de Biochimie, 28 place Henri Dunant, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, Cedex, France. jl.couderc@u-clermont1.fr
Godt
Dorothea
D
Zollman
Susan
S
Chen
Jiong
J
Li
Michelle
M
Tiong
Stanley
S
Cramton
Sarah E
SE
Sahut-Barnola
Isabelle
I
Laski
Frank A
FA
D000005:Abdomen / Q000254:growth & development; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D019521:Body Patterning; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005121:Extremities / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000254:growth & development; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000254:growth & development; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010053:Ovary / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C402243:ABTB1 protein, human; C459600:BAB2 protein, Drosophila; C093752:Bric-a-brac protein 1, Drosophila; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors