FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF CUT--A NEURAL SELECTOR GENE

果蝇的切割基因编码一个假定的转录因子， 是决定感觉器官身份的关键基因。 远景目标 我的研究重点是了解这个基因的功能和调控 以及寻找与感觉器官切割相互作用的新基因 神经发生过程中的特异性。 具体目标是： (1)to确定切割的时间和空间要求 感觉器官的正确发展，并研究能力， 在生殖系中使用诱导型启动子使胚胎中的细胞响应切割 体内转化实验。 (2)to鉴定cut的调节结构域的区域，所述区域包含 启动子或增强子元件负责切割表达模式， 体内（与报告基因结合）。 (3)to寻找与切割相互作用的基因。 a）突变和基因 将进行剂量实验，以确定基因相互作用 基因切割 B）将筛选P元件插入线， 在表现出切割依赖性表达模式的基因附近插入 这表明下游功能被切断。 c）切割的体外DNA结合 同源结构域，以找到基因组中的元件附近的基因调控， 切. 未来的研究方向是：寻找结构上同源的基因进行切割， 为了寻找其他具有类似功能的神经调节基因， 切. 同源异型盒基因的脊椎动物同源物优先表达于 神经系统和神经功能的发育归因于 他们 果蝇神经元调控基因的研究进展 因此，将有助于了解他们的同行， 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.