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PMID: 11285234 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

A family of snail-related zinc finger proteins regulates two distinct and parallel mechanisms that mediate Drosophila neuroblast asymmetric divisions.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 20 ·No. 7 ·2001-04-02 ·Pages 1704-14

Cai Y, Chia W, Yang X

Abstract

Three snail family genes snail, escargot and worniu, encode related zinc finger transcription factors that mediate Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) development. We show that simultaneous removal of all three genes causes defective neuroblast asymmetric divisions; inscuteable transcription/translation is delayed/suppressed in the segmented CNS. Further more, defects in localization of cell fate determinants and orientation of the mitotic spindle in dividing neuroblasts are much stronger than those associated with inscuteable loss of function. In inscuteable neuroblasts, cell fate determinants are mislocalized during prophase and metaphase, yet during anaphase and telophase the great majority of mutant neuroblasts localize these determinants as cortical crescents overlying one of the spindle poles. This phenomenon, known as 'telophase rescue', does not occur in the absence of the snail family genes; moreover, in contrast to inscuteable mutants, mitotic spindle orientation is completely randomized. Our data provide further evidence for the existence of two distinct asymmetry-controlling mechanisms in neuroblasts both of which require snail family gene function: an inscuteable-dependent mechanism that functions throughout mitosis and an inscuteable-independent mechanism that acts during anaphase/telophase.

MeSH Terms
Animals Body Patterning/physiology Carrier Proteins/metabolism Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism Central Nervous System/embryology,metabolism Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics,metabolism DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics,metabolism,physiology Drosophila/embryology,genetics,physiology Drosophila Proteins Gene Expression Regulation Genes, Insect Insect Proteins/genetics,metabolism,physiology Mitosis Mutagenesis Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism Neurons/cytology,metabolism,physiology Neuropeptides Nuclear Proteins/metabolism Snail Family Transcription Factors Stem Cells/cytology,metabolism,physiology Transcription Factors/genetics,metabolism,physiology Zinc Fingers/genetics,physiology
Chemicals
Carrier Proteins Cell Cycle Proteins Cytoskeletal Proteins DNA-Binding Proteins Drosophila Proteins Insect Proteins Mira protein, Drosophila Nerve Tissue Proteins Neuropeptides Nuclear Proteins PON protein, Drosophila Snail Family Transcription Factors Transcription Factors insc protein, Drosophila pros protein, Drosophila sna protein, Drosophila wor protein, Drosophila
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Cai Y
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore.
Chia W
Yang X
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
DOI
10.1093/emboj/20.7.1704
Published
2001-04-02
Pages
1704-14
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC145473
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/emboj/20.7.1704 PMC Full Text View journal details
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