apterous, a gene required for imaginal disc development in Drosophila encodes a member of the LIM family of developmental regulatory proteins

• Published in: Genes & development 1992-05, Vol.6 (5), p.715-729
• Main Authors: COHEN, B, MCGUFFIN, M. E, PFEIFLE, C, SEGAL, D, COHEN, S. M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; apterous gene; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cloning, Molecular; development; DNA Transposable Elements - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila Proteins; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation - genetics; genes; Genes, Homeobox - genetics; Genes. Genome; Homeodomain Proteins; imaginal discs; LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; Male; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation - genetics; nucleotide sequence; predictions; products; role; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription Factors - genetics; Wings, Animal - embryology
• ISSN: 0890-9369; 1549-5477
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.6.5.715

The apterous (ap) gene is required for the normal development of the wing and haltere imaginal discs in Drosophila melanogaster. ap encodes a new member of the LIM family of developmental regulatory genes. The deduced amino acid sequence of ap predicts a homeo domain and a cysteine/histidine-rich domain known as the LIM domain. In these domains ap is highly similar to the mec-3 and lin-11 proteins of Caenorhabditis elegans and to the vertebrate insulin enhancer-binding protein isl-1. ap is presumably required for transcriptional regulation of genes involved in wing and haltere development. The nature of the defects in homozygous null mutant flies is consistent with the pattern of ap expression in the larval imaginal discs. ap is also expressed in a complex pattern in the embryo, including portions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). A requirement for ap expression in the larval and adult CNS may be the underlying cause of the defects in hormone production and vitellogenesis described for ap mutations.