FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF CUT--A NEURAL SELECTOR GENE

果蝇的Cut基因编码一个可能的转录因子，该转录因子 是确定感觉器官特性的关键基因。长期目标 我研究的重点是了解这个基因的功能和调控 以及寻找与感觉器官中的CUT相互作用的新基因 在神经发生过程中的规范。 具体目标是： (1)确定具体切割的时间和空间要求 感觉器官的正确发展，并研究能力 胚胎中的细胞利用生殖系中的可诱导启动子对切割做出反应 体内转化实验。 (2)确定含有CUT调控域的区域 负责切割表达模式的启动子或增强子元件 Vivo(与报告基因结合)。 (3)寻找与CUT相互作用的基因。A)诱变和基因 将进行剂量实验以识别相互作用的基因 从基因上来说，这与Cut有关。B)将筛选P元素插入线 在表现出切割依赖表达模式的基因附近插入 暗示了一种切割下游功能。C)切割的体外DNA结合 同源同源结构域在基因组中寻找受 切。 未来的兴趣是：寻找结构上同源的基因来切割 在寻找其他具有类似功能的神经元调节基因 切。 同源盒基因的脊椎动物同源物优先在 神经系统和神经功能的发育被归因于 他们。研究果蝇神经调节基因的启示 因此，将有助于理解他们的同行在 哺乳动物的大脑。

The cut gene of the fruit fly encodes a putative transcription factor which is a key gene for specifying sensory organ identity. The long-term goals of my research are to understand the function and regulation of this gene as well as to search for new genes which interact with cut in sensory organ specification during neurogenesis. The specific aims are: (1)to determine the temporal and spatial requirements of cut in specifying the correct development of sensory organs, and to study the competence of cells in the embryo to respond to cut using inducible promoters in germline transformation experiments in vivo. (2)to identify regions of the regulatory domain of cut that contain promoter or enhancer elements responsible for the cut expression pattern in vivo (in conjunction with a reporter gene). (3)to search for genes that interact with cut. a) Mutagenesis and gene dosage experiments will be carried out to identify genes interacting genetically with cut. b) P-element insertion lines will be screened for insertions near genes that exhibit an cut dependent expression patterns suggesting a cut downstream function. c) In vitro DNA binding of the cut homeodomain to find elements in the genome near genes that are regulated by cut. Future interests are: to search for structurally homologous genes to cut in a quest for other neuronal regulatory genes with a similar function as cut. Vertebrate homologues of homeobox genes are preferentially expressed in the developing nervous system and neurological functions have ben attributed to them. The insights from studying neuronal regulatory genes in the fly will, therefore, contribute to an understanding of their counterparts in the mammalian brain.