Biomaterial Database

Cloning and characterization of a novel Drosophila Wnt gene, Dwnt-5, a putative downstream target of the homeobox gene distal-less. 1992

L M Eisenberg, and P W Ingham, and A M Brown

Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021.

The Wnt gene family in vertebrates comprises at least 11 distinct genes but the only family member previously identified in Drosophila has been the segment polarity gene wingless (wg), the ortholog of vertebrate Wnt-1. In this report we describe the isolation of a novel Drosophila Wnt gene, Dwnt-5, which differs significantly from wg in both the pattern of its expression during embryogenesis and the predicted structure of its product. Dwnt-5 encodes a polypeptide of 112 kDa, which is more than twice as large as the products of previously known Wnt genes. The protein shares homology with other Wnt sequences in its carboxy-terminal half only and is most closely related to the products of vertebrate Wnt-5a and Wnt-5b. Dwnt-5 is expressed in a complex pattern during Drosophila embryogenesis. At the extended germ band stage, however, transcripts accumulate specifically in the nascent limb primordia of the head and thoracic segments. We show that this elevated expression depends on the activity of the homeobox gene Distal-less (Dll) and suggest that the Dwnt-5 gene may constitute a downstream target of Dll that acts in the specification of these primordia.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D005121	Extremities	The farthest or outermost projections of the body, such as the HAND and FOOT.	Limbs,Extremity,Limb
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D005801	Genes, Homeobox	Genes that encode highly conserved TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS that control positional identity of cells (BODY PATTERNING) and MORPHOGENESIS throughout development. Their sequences contain a 180 nucleotide sequence designated the homeobox, so called because mutations of these genes often results in homeotic transformations, in which one body structure replaces another. The proteins encoded by homeobox genes are called HOMEODOMAIN PROTEINS.	Genes, Homeotic,Homeobox Sequence,Homeotic Genes,Genes, Homeo Box,Homeo Box,Homeo Box Sequence,Homeo Boxes,Homeobox,Homeoboxes,Hox Genes,Sequence, Homeo Box,Gene, Homeo Box,Gene, Homeobox,Gene, Homeotic,Gene, Hox,Genes, Hox,Homeo Box Gene,Homeo Box Genes,Homeo Box Sequences,Homeobox Gene,Homeobox Genes,Homeobox Sequences,Homeotic Gene,Hox Gene,Sequence, Homeobox,Sequences, Homeo Box,Sequences, Homeobox
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001483	Base Sequence	The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.	DNA Sequence,Nucleotide Sequence,RNA Sequence,DNA Sequences,Base Sequences,Nucleotide Sequences,RNA Sequences,Sequence, Base,Sequence, DNA,Sequence, Nucleotide,Sequence, RNA,Sequences, Base,Sequences, DNA,Sequences, Nucleotide,Sequences, RNA