Chapter 38 Understanding retinal cell fate determination through genetic manipulations

2001 ◽  
pp. 541-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Fadool
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Retinal Cell ◽  
Cell Fate Determination ◽  
Fate Determination ◽  
Genetic Manipulations

Signaling by the TGF-beta homolog decapentaplegic functions reiteratively within the network of genes controlling retinal cell fate determination in Drosophila

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 935-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Chen ◽  
G. Halder ◽  
Z. Zhang ◽  
G. Mardon
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Retinal Cell ◽  
Cell Fate Determination ◽  
Tgf Beta ◽  
Eyes Absent ◽  
Fate Determination ◽  
Sine Oculis ◽  
Retinal Determination ◽  
Interactive Network ◽  
Distinct Cell

Retinal cell fate determination in Drosophila is controlled by an interactive network of genes, including eyeless, eyes absent, sine oculis and dachshund. We have investigated the role of the TGF-beta homolog decapentaplegic in this pathway. We demonstrate that, during eye development, while eyeless transcription does not depend on decapentaplegic activity, the expression of eyes absent, sine oculis and dachshund are greatly reduced in a decapentaplegic mutant background. We also show that decapentaplegic signaling acts synergistically with and at multiple levels of the retinal determination network to induce eyes absent, sine oculis and dachshund expression and ectopic eye formation. These results suggest a mechanism by which a general patterning signal such as Decapentaplegic cooperates reiteratively with tissue-specific factors to determine distinct cell fates during development.

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