Fly SIX-type homeodomain proteins Sine oculis and Optix partner with different cofactors during eye development.
Two members from the Six class of homeobox transcription factors, Sine oculis (SO) and Optix, function during development of the fly visual system. Differences in gain-of-function phenotypes and gene expression suggest that these related factors play distinct roles in the formation of the fly eye. However, the molecular nature of their functional differences remains unclear. In this study, we report the identification of two novel factors that participate in specific partnerships with Sine oculis and Optix during photoreceptor neurons formation and in eye progenitor cells. This work shows that different cofactors likely mediate unique functions of Sine oculis and Optix during the development of the fly eye and that the repeated requirement for SO function at multiple stages of eye development reflects the activity of different SO-cofactor complexes.
Kenyon
Kristy L
KL
Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Li
Dan Jun
DJ
Clouser
Christopher
C
Tran
Susan
S
Pignoni
Francesca
F
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C409102:Optix protein, Drosophila; C087345:So protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors