Bimodal and graded expression of the Xenopus homeobox gene Xhox3 during embryonic development

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ruiz ◽  
i. Altaba ◽  
D.A. Melton
Keyword(s):  
Homeobox Genes ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Posterior Pole ◽  
Tail Bud ◽  
Hybridization Probe ◽  
Midblastula Transition ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Neurula Stage ◽  
Pair Rule

A Xenopus laevis homeobox gene, Xhox3, has been isolated using the homeobox of the Drosophila pair-rule gene even skipped as a hybridization probe. Xhox3 is first transcribed at the midblastula transition; RNA levels peak at the early neurula stage and decrease thereafter. During the early period of Xhox3 expression, the gastrula and neurula stages, transcripts are found in a graded fashion along the anteroposterior (A-P) axis in the mesoderm and are most concentrated at the posterior pole. In the late period of expression, the tailbud and tadpole stage, transcripts are concentrated at the two ends of the embryo: in the anterior nervous system and posterior tail bud. Analysis of Xhox3 expression in experimentally perturbed embryos shows that different A-P fates in the mesoderm are correlated with different levels of Xhox3 expression. Based on these results and those with other frog homeobox genes, we propose a role for homeobox genes in the patterning of the A-P embryonic axis.

Expression domains of a zebrafish homologue of the Drosophila pair-rule gene hairy correspond to primordia of alternating somites

Development ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 122 (7) ◽  
pp. 2071-2078 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Muller ◽  
E. Weizsacker ◽  
J.A. Campos-Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Expression Pattern ◽  
Bhlh Protein ◽  
Presomitic Mesoderm ◽  
Tail Bud ◽  
Expression Domain ◽  
Somite Formation ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Pair Rule ◽  
Time Point

her1 is a zebrafish cDNA encoding a bHLH protein with all features characteristic of members of the Drosophila HAIRY-E(SPL) family. During late gastrulation stages, her1 is expressed in the epibolic margin and in two distinct transverse bands of hypoblastic cells behind the epibolic front. After completion of epiboly, this pattern persists essentially unchanged through postgastrulation stages; the marginal domain is incorporated in the tail bud and, depending on the time point, either two or three paired bands of expressing cells are present within the paraxial presomitic mesoderm separated by regions devoid of transcripts. Labelling of cells within the her1 expression domains with fluorescein-dextran shows that the cells in the epibolic margin and the tail bud are not allocated to particular somites. However, allocation of cells to somites occurs between the marginal expression domain and the first expression band, anterior to it. Moreover, the her1 bands, and the intervening non-expressing zones, each represents the primordium of a somite. This expression pattern is highly reminiscent of that of Drosophila pair-rule genes. A possible participation of her1 in functions related to somite formation is discussed.

odd Oz: A novel Drosophila pair rule gene

Cell ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Levine ◽  
Ayelet Bashan-Ahrend ◽  
Ofra Budai-Hadrian ◽  
Devorah Gartenberg ◽  
Sophia Menasherow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Pair Rule

Teneurin-1, a vertebrate homologue of the Drosophila pair-rule gene ten-m, is a neuronal protein with a novel type of heparin-binding domain

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (12) ◽  
pp. 2019-2032 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D. Minet ◽  
B.P. Rubin ◽  
R.P. Tucker ◽  
S. Baumgartner ◽  
R. Chiquet-Ehrismann
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
Terminal Part ◽  
Phylogenetic Conservation ◽  
Neuronal Protein ◽  
Repeat Proteins ◽  
Heparin Binding Domain ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Pair Rule

The Drosophila gene ten-m is the first pair-rule gene not encoding a transcription factor, but an extracellular protein. We have characterized a highly conserved chicken homologue that we call teneurin-1. The C-terminal part harbors 26 repetitive sequence motifs termed YD-repeats. The YD-repeats are most similar to the core of the rhs elements of Escherichia coli. Related repeats in toxin A of Clostridium difficile are known to bind specific carbohydrates. We show that recombinantly expressed proteins containing the YD-repeats of teneurin-1 bind to heparin. Furthermore, heparin lyase treatment of extracts of cells expressing recombinant YD-repeat protein releases this protein from high molecular mass aggregates. In situ hybridization and immunostaining reveals teneurin-1 expression in neurons of the developing visual system of chicken and Drosophila. This phylogenetic conservation of neuronal expression from flies to birds implies fundamental roles for teneurin-1 in neurogenesis. This is supported by the neurite outgrowth occurring on substrates made of recombinant YD-repeat proteins, which can be inhibited by heparin. Database searches resulted in the identification of ESTs encoding at least three further members of the teneurin family of proteins. Furthermore, the human teneurin-1 gene could be identified on chromosome Xq24/25, a region implied in an X-linked mental retardation syndrome.

Requirements of Lim1, a Drosophila LIM-homeobox gene, for normal leg and antennal development

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (20) ◽  
pp. 4315-4323 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Tsuji ◽  
A. Sato ◽  
I. Hiratani ◽  
M. Taira ◽  
K. Saigo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Homeobox Genes ◽  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Homeodomain Protein ◽  
Border Cells ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Tarsal Segment ◽  
Segment Boundary ◽  
Leg Development ◽  
Antagonistic Interactions

During Drosophila leg development, the distal-most compartment (pretarsus) and its immediate neighbour (tarsal segment 5) are specified by a pretarsus-specific homeobox gene, aristaless, and tarsal-segment-specific Bar homeobox genes, respectively; the pretarsus/tarsal-segment boundary is formed by antagonistic interactions between Bar and pretarsus-specific genes that include aristaless (Kojima, T., Sato, M. and Saigo, K. (2000) Development 127, 769–778). Here, we show that Drosophila Lim1, a homologue of vertebrate Lim1 encoding a LIM-homeodomain protein, is involved in pretarsus specification and boundary formation through its activation of aristaless. Ectopic expression of Lim1 caused aristaless misexpression, while aristaless expression was significantly reduced in Lim1-null mutant clones. Pretarsus Lim1 expression was negatively regulated by Bar and abolished in leg discs lacking aristaless activity, which was associated with strong Bar misexpression in the presumptive pretarsus. No Lim1 misexpression occurred upon aristaless misexpression. The concerted function of Lim1 and aristaless was required to maintain Fasciclin 2 expression in border cells and form a smooth pretarsus/tarsal-segment boundary. Lim1 was also required for femur, coxa and antennal development.

scholarly journals Tc-knirps plays different roles in the specification of antennal and mandibular parasegment boundaries and is regulated by a pair-rule gene in the beetle Tribolium castaneum

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D Peel ◽  
Julia Schanda ◽  
Daniela Grossmann ◽  
Frank Ruge ◽  
Georg Oberhofer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tribolium Castaneum ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Pair Rule

scholarly journals Unipolar distributions of junctional Myosin II identify cell stripe boundaries that drive cell intercalation throughout Drosophila axis extension

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J Tetley ◽  
Guy B Blanchard ◽  
Alexander G Fletcher ◽  
Richard J Adams ◽  
Bénédicte Sanson
Keyword(s):  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Cell Polarization ◽  
Convergence And Extension ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Cell Intercalation ◽  
Pair Rule ◽  
Cell Cell

Convergence and extension movements elongate tissues during development. Drosophila germ-band extension (GBE) is one example, which requires active cell rearrangements driven by Myosin II planar polarisation. Here, we develop novel computational methods to analyse the spatiotemporal dynamics of Myosin II during GBE, at the scale of the tissue. We show that initial Myosin II bipolar cell polarization gives way to unipolar enrichment at parasegmental boundaries and two further boundaries within each parasegment, concomitant with a doubling of cell number as the tissue elongates. These boundaries are the primary sites of cell intercalation, behaving as mechanical barriers and providing a mechanism for how cells remain ordered during GBE. Enrichment at parasegment boundaries during GBE is independent of Wingless signaling, suggesting pair-rule gene control. Our results are consistent with recent work showing that a combinatorial code of Toll-like receptors downstream of pair-rule genes contributes to Myosin II polarization via local cell-cell interactions. We propose an updated cell-cell interaction model for Myosin II polarization that we tested in a vertex-based simulation.

scholarly journals Odd-paired controls frequency doubling in Drosophila segmentation by altering the pair-rule gene regulatory network

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Clark ◽  
Michael Akam
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Regulatory Network ◽  
Regulatory Network ◽  
Frequency Doubling ◽  
Drosophila Embryo ◽  
Anteroposterior Patterning ◽  
Regulatory Interactions ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
Gene Regulatory ◽  
Pair Rule

The Drosophila embryo transiently exhibits a double-segment periodicity, defined by the expression of seven 'pair-rule' genes, each in a pattern of seven stripes. At gastrulation, interactions between the pair-rule genes lead to frequency doubling and the patterning of 14 parasegment boundaries. In contrast to earlier stages of Drosophila anteroposterior patterning, this transition is not well understood. By carefully analysing the spatiotemporal dynamics of pair-rule gene expression, we demonstrate that frequency-doubling is precipitated by multiple coordinated changes to the network of regulatory interactions between the pair-rule genes. We identify the broadly expressed but temporally patterned transcription factor, Odd-paired (Opa/Zic), as the cause of these changes, and show that the patterning of the even-numbered parasegment boundaries relies on Opa-dependent regulatory interactions. Our findings indicate that the pair-rule gene regulatory network has a temporally modulated topology, permitting the pair-rule genes to play stage-specific patterning roles.

The zygotic control of Drosophila pair-rule gene expression. I. A search for new pair-rule regulatory loci

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 663-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.H. Vavra ◽  
S.B. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Periodic Patterns ◽  
Pair Rule Gene ◽  
New Type ◽  
Regulatory Loci ◽  
Direct Inspection ◽  
Pair Rule ◽  
Zygotic Control

The examination of pair-rule gene expression in wild-type and segmentation mutant embryos has identified many, but not necessarily all, of the elements of the regulatory system that establish their periodic patterns. Here we have conducted a new type of search for previously unknown regulators of these genes by examining pair-rule gene expression in blastoderm embryos lacking parts of or entire chromosomes. This method has the advantage of direct inspection of abnormal pair-rule gene patterns without relying upon mutagenesis or interpretation of larval phenotypes for the identification of segmentation genes. From these experiments we conclude that: (i) most zygotically required regulators of the fushi tarazu (ftz), even-skipped (eve) and hairy (h) pair-rule genes have been identified, except for one or more loci we have uncovered on chromosome arm 2L; (ii) the repression of the ftz and eve genes in the anterior third of the embryo is under maternal, not zygotic control; and (iii) there are no general zygotically required activators of pair-rule gene expression. The results suggest that the molecular basis of pair-rule gene regulation can be pursued with greater confidence now that most key trans-acting factors are already in hand.

Nkx-2.5: a novel murine homeobox gene expressed in early heart progenitor cells and their myogenic descendants

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.J. Lints ◽  
L.M. Parsons ◽  
L. Hartley ◽  
I. Lyons ◽  
R.P. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
Homeobox Genes ◽  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Heart Tube ◽  
New Members ◽  
Mesoderm Development ◽  
Early Entry ◽  
Developing Heart ◽  
Valuable Marker

We have isolated two murine homeobox genes, Nkx-2.5 and Nkx-2.6, that are new members of a sp sub-family of homeobox genes related to Drosophila NK2, NK3 and NK4/msh-2. In this paper, we focus on the Nkx-2.5 gene and its expression pattern during post-implantation development. Nkx-2.5 transcripts are first detected at early headfold stages in myocardiogenic progenitor cells. Expression preceeds the onset of myogenic differentiation, and continues in cardiomyocytes of embryonic, foetal and adult hearts. Transcripts are also detected in future pharyngeal endoderm, the tissue believed to produce the heart inducer. Expression in endoderm is only found laterally, where it is in direct apposition to promyocardium, suggesting an interaction between the two tissues. After foregut closure, Nkx-2.5 expression in endoderm is limited to the pharyngeal floor, dorsal to the developing heart tube. The thyroid primordium, a derivative of the pharyngeal floor, continues to express Nkx-2.5 after transcript levels diminish in the rest of the pharynx. Nkx-2.5 transcripts are also detected in lingual muscle, spleen and stomach. The expression data implicate Nkx-2.5 in commitment to and/or differentiation of the myocardial lineage. The data further demonstrate that cardiogenic progenitors can be distinguished at a molecular level by late gastrulation. Nkx-2.5 expression will therefore be a valuable marker in the analysis of mesoderm development and an early entry point for dissection of the molecular basis of myogenesis in the heart.

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