Role of Homothorax in region specific regulation of Deformed in embryonic neuroblasts

• Published in: Mechanisms of development Vol. 138; pp. 190 - 197
• Main Authors: Kumar, Raviranjan, Chotaliya, Maheshvari, Vuppala, Sruthakeerthi, Auradkar, Ankush, Palasamudrum, Kalyani, Joshi, Rohit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.11.2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Central Nervous System - embryology; Deformed; Drosophila - embryology; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Enhancer Elements, Genetic - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics; Genes, Homeobox - genetics; Glia; Homeodomain; Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; Homothorax; Hox; Mandibular; Maxillary; Neural autoregulation; Neural Stem Cells - physiology; Neuroblast; Neuromere; Neuron; Organogenesis - genetics; Hox; Homothorax; Deformed; Neuron; Mandibular; Neuromere; Maxillary; Neural autoregulation; Neuroblast; Glia; Homeodomain
• ISSN: 0925-4773; 1872-6356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2015.09.003

The expression and regulation of Hox genes in developing central nervous system (CNS) lack important details like specific cell types where Hox genes are expressed and the transcriptional regulatory players involved in these cells. In this study we have investigated the expression and regulation of Drosophila Hox gene Deformed (Dfd) in specific cell types of embryonic CNS. Using Dfd neural autoregulatory enhancer we find that Dfd autoregulates itself in cells of mandibular neuromere. We have also investigated the role of a Hox cofactor Homothorax (Hth) for its role in regulating Dfd expression in CNS. We find that Hth exhibits a region specific role in controlling the expression of Dfd, but has no direct role in mandibular Dfd neural autoregulatory circuit. Our results also suggest that homeodomain of Hth is not required for regulating Dfd expression in embryonic CNS. •Dfd autoregulates itself in cells of mandibular neuromere in embryonic CNS.•Hth shows a region specific role in regulating Dfd expression in embryonic CNS.•Hth is critical for Dfd expression in neuroblasts of maxillary neuromere.•Hth is not important for Dfd neural autoregulation and its role is restricted to regulating levels of Dfd.•Homeodomain-less isoform Hth is sufficient for its role in Dfd regulation in embryonic Nbs.