title: The Drosophila proneural gene amos promotes olfactory sensillum formation and suppresses bristle formation.
abstract: Proneural genes encode basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors required for neural precursor specification. Recently amos was identified as a new candidate Drosophila proneural gene related to atonal. Having isolated the first specific amos loss-of-function mutations, we show definitively that amos is required to specify the precursors of two classes of olfactory sensilla. Unlike other known proneural mutations, a novel characteristic of amos loss of function is the appearance of ectopic sensory bristles in addition to loss of olfactory sensilla, owing to the inappropriate function of scute. This supports a model of inhibitory interactions between proneural genes, whereby ato-like genes (amos and ato) must suppress sensory bristle fate as well as promote alternative sense organ subtypes.
authors.affiliation: The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, UK.
authors.forename: Petra I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: zur Lage
authors.forename: David R A
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Prentice
authors.forename: Eimear E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Holohan
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Jarman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D004628:Embryonic Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C405512:Amos protein, Drosophila; C082142:ato protein, Drosophila