HOMEO BOXES IN THE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT
HOMEO BOXES IN THE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT
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DOI：
10.1126/science.2884726
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发表时间：
1987-06-05
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
GEHRING, WJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
GEHRING, WJ
果蝇的体型在很大程度上是由同源异型基因决定的，这些基因规定了身体各部分的身份和空间排列。同源异型基因共享一个特征性的DNA片段，同源异型盒，其编码同源异型蛋白的限定结构域。同源异型结构域似乎介导与特定DNA序列的结合，从而同源异型蛋白发挥基因调控功能。通过分离出正常的果蝇基因，将其蛋白质编码序列与诱导型启动子融合，并将这种融合基因重新引入果蝇的种系中，已经有可能将头部结构转化为胸部结构，并以预测的方式改变身体平面。序列同源性表明类似的遗传机制可能控制高等生物的发育。
The body plan ofDrosophilais determined to a large extent by homeotic genes, which specify the identity and spatial arrangement of the body segments. Homeotic genes share a characteristic DNA segment, the homeo box, which encodes a defined domain of the homeotic proteins. The homeo domain seems to mediate the binding to specific DNA sequences, whereby the homeotic proteins exert a gene regulatory function. By isolating the normalAntennapediagene, fusing its protein-coding sequences to an inducible promoter, and reintroducing this fusion gene into the germline of flies, it has been possible to transform head structures into thoracic structures and to alter the body plan in a predicted way. Sequence homologies suggest that similar genetic mechanisms may control development in higher organisms.