Mummy encodes an UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-dipohosphorylase and is required during Drosophila dorsal closure and nervous system development.
Throughout development cell-cell interactions are of pivotal importance. Cells bind to each other or share information via secreted signaling molecules. To a large degree, these processes are modulated by post-translational modifications of membrane proteins. Glycan-chains are frequently added to membrane proteins and assist their exact function at the cell surface. In addition, the glycosylation pathway is required to generate GPI-linkage in the endoplasmatic reticulum. Here, we describe the analysis of the cabrio/mummy gene, which encodes an UDP-N-acetylglucosamine diphosphorylase. This is a well-conserved and central enzyme in the glycosylation pathway. As expected from this central role in glycosylation, cabrio/mummy mutants show many phenotypic traits ranging from CNS fasciculation defects to defects in dorsal closure and eye development. These phenotypes correlate well with specific glycosylation and GPI-anchorage defects in mummy mutants.
Schimmelpfeng
Kristina
K
Institut für Neurobiologie, Universität Münster, Badestr. 9, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Strunk
Mareike
M
Stork
Tobias
T
Klämbt
Christian
C
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D019521:Body Patterning; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006031:Glycosylation; D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; C023226:UDPacetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase; C516043:mmy protein, Drosophila