title: The MYST-containing protein Chameau is required for proper sensory organ specification during Drosophila thorax morphogenesis.
abstract: The adult thorax of Drosophila melanogaster is covered by a stereotyped pattern of mechanosensory bristles called macrochaetes. Here, we report that the MYST containing protein Chameau (Chm) contributes to the establishment of this pattern in the most dorsal part of the thorax. Chm mutant pupae present extra-dorsocentral (DC) and scutellar (SC) macrochaetes, but a normal number of the other macrochaetes. We provide evidences that chm restricts the singling out of sensory organ precursors from proneural clusters and genetically interacts with transcriptional regulators involved in the regulation of achaete and scute in the DC and SC proneural cluster. This function of chm likely relies on chromatin structure regulation since a protein with a mutation in the conserved catalytic site fails to rescue the formation of supernumerary DC and SC bristles in chm mutant flies. This is further supported by the finding that mutations in genes encoding chromatin modifiers and remodeling factors, including Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) members, dominantly modulate the penetrance of chm extra bristle phenotype. These data support a critical role for chromatin structure modulation in the establishment of the stereotyped sensory bristle pattern in the fly thorax.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille-Luminy, CNRS UMR6216/Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hainaut
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sagnier
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Berenger
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pradel
authors.forename: Yacine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Graba
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miotto
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005838:Genotype; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013909:Thorax / Q000196:embryology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C109259:pnr protein, Drosophila; D000123:Acetyltransferases; C467710:chm protein, Drosophila