Drosophila Nemo Promotes Eye Specification Directed by the Retinal Determination Gene Network

Drosophila nemo (nmo) is the founding member of the Nemo-like kinase (Nlk) family of serine-threonine kinases. Previous work has characterized nmo's role in planar cell polarity during ommatidial patterning. Here we examine an earlier role for nmo in eye formation through interactions with the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genetics (Austin) 2008-09, Vol.180 (1), p.283-299
Main Authors: Braid, Lorena R, Verheyen, Esther M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Body Patterning
cell differentiation
Cell Lineage
Cells
compound eyes
Crosses, Genetic
Dissection
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - physiology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Gene Regulatory Networks
Heterozygote
insect development
Investigations
Kinases
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - genetics
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - physiology
Models, Anatomic
Models, Biological
Models, Genetic
mutants
Mutation
nemo gene
non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase
Phenotype
Proteins
retina
Retina - embryology
Retina - physiology
retinal determination gene network
Specifications
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Summary:Drosophila nemo (nmo) is the founding member of the Nemo-like kinase (Nlk) family of serine-threonine kinases. Previous work has characterized nmo's role in planar cell polarity during ommatidial patterning. Here we examine an earlier role for nmo in eye formation through interactions with the retinal determination gene network (RDGN). nmo is dynamically expressed in second and third instar eye imaginal discs, suggesting additional roles in patterning of the eyes, ocelli, and antennae. We utilized genetic approaches to investigate Nmo's role in determining eye fate. nmo genetically interacts with the retinal determination factors Eyeless (Ey), Eyes Absent (Eya), and Dachshund (Dac). Loss of nmo rescues ey and eya mutant phenotypes, and heterozygosity for eya modifies the nmo eye phenotype. Reducing nmo also rescues small-eye defects induced by misexpression of ey and eya in early eye development. nmo can potentiate RDGN-mediated eye formation in ectopic eye induction assays. Moreover, elevated Nmo alone can respecify presumptive head cells to an eye fate by inducing ectopic expression of dac and eya. Together, our genetic analyses reveal that nmo promotes normal and ectopic eye development directed by the RDGN.
ISSN:0016-6731
1943-2631
1943-2631
DOI:10.1534/genetics.108.092155