The Role of Mago Nashi in Drosophila Development

在许多生物体中，早期的决定性事件是由 信息的差异分布 分子（细胞质决定簇）。 在果蝇中， 这些决定因素的分布是由基因决定的， 对发育中的胚胎有严格意义上的母性贡献。 果蝇是研究基因的模型系统， 产生这些决定因素和/或参与适当的 在胚胎中分配这些决定因素。 主要研究者 研究Mango Nashi，这是一种母体效应基因， 原始生殖细胞的确定和 胚胎的前后轴。 mago轨迹是新颖的 因为该基因座突变破坏生殖细胞形成， 也能引起前胚胎的替换， 后尾和腹部结构。 双 MAGO和等位基因之间的突变体对于描绘至关重要 胚胎前后轴的位置将被用来更好地 定义mago在指定前后轴中的作用 胚胎。 新的mago等位基因的遗传分离和 这些等位基因的发育分析将提供信息 必要的改进模型描绘的作用mago + 早期胚胎发育 的分子表征， （a）鉴定mago mRNA，和 代表MAGO cDNA克隆的分离和测序 mRNA;和（B）测定MAGO的分布 卵母细胞和胚胎中的转录物和蛋白质。 这 综合分析可以大大提高我们对 mago+在果蝇早期发育中的作用 因此这些 研究应该提供对潜在机制的见解， 生殖细胞的形成和位置的建立 早期胚胎的信息。

In many organisms early determinative events are established by the differential distribution of informational molecules(cytoplasmic determinants). In Drosophila,the distribution of these determinants is established by genes that make a strictly maternal contribution to the developing embryo. Drosophila serves as a model system for studying genes that produce these determinants and/or are involved in properly distributing these determinants within the embryo. The PI is studying Mango Nashi a maternal effect gene required both for the determination of the primordial germ cells and establishment of the anteroposterior axis of the embryo. The mago locus is novel in that mutations of the locus disrupt germ cell formation and are also capable of causing a replacement of anterior embryonic structures by posterior tail and abdominal structures. Double mutants between mago and alleles of loci crucial for delineation of the anteroposterior axis of the embryo will be used to better define the role of mago in specifying the anteroposterior axis of the embryo. Genetic isolation of new mago alleles and developmental analysis of thes alleles will provide information necessary for refining models dipicting the role of mago+ in early embryonic development. A molecular characterization of the mago locus will include: (a) identification of mago mRNA(s), and isolation and sequencing of cDNA clones representative of mago mRNA; and (b) determination of the distribution of the mago transcript(s) and protein(s) in oocytes and embryos. This combined analysis should significantly improve our understanding of mago+ function in early Drosophila development. Thus, these studies should provide insights into the mechanisms underlying germ cell formation and the establishment of positional information in the early embryo.