tantalus, a potential link between Notch signalling and chromatin-remodelling complexes.
The tantalus (tan) gene encodes a protein that interacts specifically with the Polycomb/trithorax group protein Additional sex combs (ASX). Both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations in tan cause tissue-specific defects in the eyes, wing veins and bristles of adult flies. As these defects are also typical for components of the Notch (N) signalling pathway, we wished to determine if TAN interacts with this pathway. Through careful examination of ectopic tan phenotypes, we find that TAN specifically disrupts all three major processes associated with the N signalling pathway (boundary formation, lateral inhibition, and lineage decisions). Furthermore, ectopic tan expression abolishes expression of two N target genes, wingless (wg) and cut, at the dorsal-ventral boundary of the wing. An interaction between tan and N was also observed using a genetic assay that previously detected interactions between tan and Asx. The previously observed ability of TAN to move between the cytoplasm and nucleus, and to associate with DNA, provides a potential mechanism for TAN to respond to N signalling.
Dietrich
Bruce H
BH
Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology, Charles H. Best Institute, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L6, Canada.
Yang
Ping
P
Krause
Henry M
HM
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000235:genetics*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014921:Wings, Animal
C111660:ASX protein, Drosophila; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C497759:N protein, Drosophila; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C431070:t protein, Drosophila
Genes Dev. 1989 Sep;3(9):1288-300
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