title: The proprioceptive and contractile systems in Drosophila are both patterned by the EGR family transcription factor Stripe.
abstract: Coordinated locomotion of Drosophila larvae depends on accurate patterning and stable attachment to the cuticle of both muscles and proprioceptors (chordotonal organs). Unlike muscle spindles in mammals, the fly chordotonal organs are not embedded in the body-wall muscles. Yet, the contractile system (muscles and tendons) and the chordotonal organs constitute two parts of a single functional unit that controls locomotion, and thus must be patterned in full coordination. It is not known how such coordination is achieved. Here we show that the positioning and differentiation of the migrating chordotonal organs are instructed by Stripe, the same transcription factor that promotes tendon cell specification and differentiation and is required for normal patterning of the contractile system. Our data demonstrate that although chordotonal organs are patterned in a Stripe-dependent mechanism similarly to muscles, this mechanism is independent of Stripe activity in tendon cells. Thus, the two parts of the locomotive system use similar but independent patterning mechanisms that converge to form a functional unit. Stripe plays at least a dual role in chordotonal development. It is required within the ligament cells for terminal differentiation and proper migration, without which no induction of ligament attachment cells takes place. Stripe's activity is then necessary within the recruited cells for their differentiation as attachment cells. Similarly to the biphasic differentiation program of tendons, terminal differentiation of chordotonal attachment cells is associated with sequential activation of the two Stripe isoforms-Stripe B and Stripe A.
authors: Department of Genetics and the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 9649, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors: Yifat
authors: Y
authors: Klein
authors: Naomi
authors: N
authors: Halachmi
authors: Nirit
authors: N
authors: Egoz-Matia
authors: Moran
authors: M
authors: Toder
authors: Adi
authors: A
authors: Salzberg
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051765:Early Growth Response Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology; D008022:Ligaments / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051765:Early Growth Response Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014404:Tubulin; C096359:sr protein, Drosophila