title: Drosophila araucan and caupolican integrate intrinsic and signalling inputs for the acquisition by muscle progenitors of the lateral transverse fate.
abstract: A central issue of myogenesis is the acquisition of identity by individual muscles. In Drosophila, at the time muscle progenitors are singled out, they already express unique combinations of muscle identity genes. This muscle code results from the integration of positional and temporal signalling inputs. Here we identify, by means of loss-of-function and ectopic expression approaches, the Iroquois Complex homeobox genes araucan and caupolican as novel muscle identity genes that confer lateral transverse muscle identity. The acquisition of this fate requires that Araucan/Caupolican repress other muscle identity genes such as slouch and vestigial. In addition, we show that Caupolican-dependent slouch expression depends on the activation state of the Ras/Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase cascade. This provides a comprehensive insight into the way Iroquois genes integrate in muscle progenitors, signalling inputs that modulate gene expression and protein activity.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrasco-Rando
authors.forename: Antonio S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tutor
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prieto-Sánchez
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Pérez
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Letizia
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Sonsoles
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campuzano
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Gómez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000235:genetics; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C099257:ARA protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C099258:caup protein, Drosophila; C066818:slou protein, Drosophila; C095064:vg protein, Drosophila; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins