title: Insensible is a novel nuclear inhibitor of Notch activity in Drosophila.
abstract: Notch signalling regulates a wide range of developmental processes. In the Drosophila peripheral nervous system, Notch regulates a series of binary fate decisions that lead to the formation of regularly spaced sensory organs. Each sensory organ is generated by single sensory organ precursor cell (SOP) via a series of asymmetric cell divisions. Starting from a SOP-specific Cis-Regulatory Module (CRM), we identified insensible (insb), a.k.a CG6520, as a SOP/neuron-specific gene encoding a nuclear factor that inhibits Notch signalling activity. First, over-expression of Insb led to the transcriptional repression of a Notch reporter and to phenotypes associated with the inhibition of Notch. Second, while the complete loss of insb activity had no significant phenotype, it enhanced the bristle phenotype associated with reduced levels of Hairless, a nuclear protein acting as a co-repressor for Suppressor of Hairless. In conclusion, our work identified Insb as a novel SOP/neuron-specific nuclear inhibitor of Notch activity in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Dept, Paris, France; CNRS, URA2578, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coumailleau
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Dept, Paris, France; CNRS, URA2578, Paris, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schweisguth
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D023061:Gene Order; D018390:Gene Targeting; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D011485:Protein Binding; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch