Charlatan, a Zn-finger transcription factor, establishes a novel level of regulation of the proneural achaete/scute genes of Drosophila
Charlatan, a Zn-finger transcription factor, establishes a novel level of regulation of the proneural achaete/scute genes of Drosophila
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DOI：
10.1242/dev.01691
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发表时间：
2005-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Modolell, J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Escudero, LM;Caminero, E;Modolell, J
前基因achaete （ac）和sccute （sc）是果蝇外部感觉器官形成所必需的基因。Ac和sc在前神经簇中表达，并赋予其细胞神经电位。为了实现这一潜力，并使SO前体细胞（SOP）在集群中产生，必须在集群中积累足够的原膜蛋白。在这里，我们描述了一个新的基因，charlatan (chn)，它编码锌指转录因子，通过与ac/sc形成刺激环来促进这种积累。我们发现，chn的功能缺失减少了前毛囊中Sc的积累，并部分消除了巨毛囊，而chn的过表达增强了ac/ Sc的表达和额外SOs的形成。此外，chn在地方集群中被ac/sc激活。Chn通过与前神经簇特异性增强子的物理相互作用并提高增强子的效率来刺激ac/sc，从而刺激前神经簇中ac/sc的表达。CHN也是胚胎周围神经系统正常发育所必需的，因为缺乏CHN会导致神经元的丢失并导致脊索器官的异常发育。
The proneural genes achaete (ac) and scute (sc) are necessary for the formation of the external sensory organs (SOs) of Drosophila. ac and sc are expressed in proneural clusters and impart their cells with neural potential. For this potential to be realized, and the SO precursor cell (SOP) to arise within a cluster, sufficient proneural protein must accumulate in the cluster. Here we describe a novel gene, charlatan (chn), which encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that facilitates this accumulation by forming a stimulatory loop with ac/sc. We find that loss of function of chn decreases the accumulation of Sc in proneural clusters and partially removes notum macrochaetae, while overexpression of chn enhances ac/sc expression and the formation of extra SOs. Moreover, chn is activated by ac/sc in proneural clusters. Chn apparently stimulates ac/sc by physically interacting with the proneural cluster-specific enhancers and increasing enhancer efficiency, thus acting as a stimulator of ac/sc expression in proneural clusters. chn is also required for the proper development of the embryonic peripheral nervous system, as its absence leads to loss of neurons and causes aberrant development of chordotonal organs.