Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Biemar, F
• Nix, D.A
• Piel, J
• Peterson, B
• Ronshaugen, M
• Sementchenko, V
• Bell, I
• Manak, J.R
• Levine, M.S

Titel

Comprehensive identification of Drosophila dorsal-ventral patterning genes using a whole-genome tiling array

Ist Teil von

• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, 2006-08, Vol.103 (34), p.12763-12768

Ort / Verlag

United States: National Academy of Sciences

Erscheinungsjahr

2006

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Dorsal-ventral (DV) patterning of the Drosophila embryo is initiated by Dorsal, a sequence-specific transcription factor distributed in a broad nuclear gradient in the precellular embryo. Previous studies have identified as many as 70 protein-coding genes and one microRNA (miRNA) gene that are directly or indirectly regulated by this gradient. A gene regulation network, or circuit diagram, including the functional interconnections among 40 Dorsal target genes and 20 associated tissue-specific enhancers, has been determined for the initial stages of gastrulation. Here, we attempt to extend this analysis by identifying additional DV patterning genes using a recently developed whole-genome tiling array. This analysis led to the identification of another 30 protein-coding genes, including the Drosophila homolog of Idax, an inhibitor of Wnt signaling. In addition, remote 5' exons were identified for at least 10 of the approximately equal to 100 protein-coding genes that were missed in earlier annotations. As many as nine intergenic uncharacterized transcription units were identified, including two that contain known microRNAs, miR-1 and -9a. We discuss the potential functions of these recently identified genes and suggest that intronic enhancers are a common feature of the DV gene network.