Identification of a Drosophila muscle development gene with structural homology to mammalian early growth response transcription factors

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 92; no. 22; pp. 10344 - 10348
• Main Authors: Lee, J.C, VijayRaghavan, K, Celniker, S.E, Tanouye, M.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 24.10.1995; National Acad Sciences; National Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Animals; Base Sequence; beta-Galactosidase - biosynthesis; Biology; Complementary DNA; DNA; DNA Transposable Elements; DNA-binding proteins; DNA-Binding Proteins - biosynthesis; DNA-Binding Proteins - chemistry; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins; Embryo, Nonmammalian; embryogenesis; Embryos; Epidermis; Gene Expression; Genes; Genes, Insect; Genetic mutation; Genomic Library; Genomics; In Situ Hybridization; Insects; Mammals; messenger RNA; Molecular Sequence Data; Muscle development; muscles; Muscles - embryology; Muscles - physiology; Muscular system; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Mutation; nucleotide sequences; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; Salivary Glands - cytology; Salivary Glands - metabolism; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; sr gene; structural genes; Transcription Factors - biosynthesis; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription, Genetic; Transposons
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.92.22.10344

In Drosophila, stripe (sr) gene function is required for normal muscle development. Some mutations disrupt embryonic muscle development and are lethal. Other mutations cause total loss of only a single muscle in the adult. Molecular analysis shows that sr encodes a predicted protein containing a zinc finger motif. This motif is homologous to the DNA binding domains encoded by members of the early growth response (egr) gene family. In mammals, expression of egr genes is induced by intercellular signals, and there is evidence for their role in many developmental events. The identification of sr as an egr gene and its pattern of expression suggest that it functions in muscle development via intercellular communication.