D-MEF2: a MADS box transcription factor expressed in differentiating mesoderm and muscle cell lineages during Drosophila embryogenesis

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1994-06, Vol.91 (12), p.5662-5666
• Main Authors: Lilly, B, Galewsky, S, Firulli, A.B, Schulz, R.A, Olson, E.N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Amino acids; animal tissues; Animals; Base Sequence; Binding Sites; Biology; Cell Compartmentation; Cloning, Molecular; Complementary DNA; d-mef2 gene; DNA, Complementary - genetics; DNA-binding proteins; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila Proteins; embryogenesis; Embryos; Enhancer Elements, Genetic; genbank/u03292; Gene Expression; Genes; Genes, Insect; Insects; MEF2 Transcription Factors; Mesoderm; Mesoderm - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Muscle cells; muscles; Muscles - embryology; Myocardium; myocyte enhancer factor; Myogenic Regulatory Factors; Nautilus; nucleotide sequences; Proteins; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Stem cells; structural genes; Transcription Factors - genetics; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.12.5662

The myocyte enhancer factor (MEF) 2 family of transcription factors has been implicated in the regulation of muscle transcription in vertebrates. We have cloned a protein from Drosophila, termed D-MEF2, that shares extensive amino acid homology with the MADS (MCM1, Agamous, Deficiens, and serum-response factor) domains of the vertebrate MEF2 proteins. D-mef2 gene expression is first detected during Drosophila embryogenesis within mesodermal precursor cells prior to specification of the somatic and visceral muscle lineages. Expression of D-mef2 is dependent on the mesodermal determinants twist and snail but independent of the homeobox-containing gene tinman, which is required for visceral muscle and heart development. D-mef2 expression precedes that of the MyoD homologue, nautilus, and, in contrast to nautilus, D-mef2 appears to be expressed in all somatic and visceral muscle cell precursors. Its temporal and spatial expression patterns suggest that D-mef2 may play an important role in commitment of mesoderm to myogenic lineages.