Biomaterial Database

Neurogenic and proneural genes control cell fate specification in the Drosophila endoderm. 1995

U Tepass, and V Hartenstein

Department of Biology, University of California at Los Angeles 90024-1606, USA.

The Drosophila endoderm segregates into three non-neural cell types, the principle midgut epithelial cells, the adult midgut precursors, and the interstitial cell precursors, early in development. We show that this process occurs in the absence of mesoderm and requires proneural and neurogenic genes. In neurogenic mutants the principle midgut epithelial cells are missing and the other two cell types develop in great excess. Consequently, the midgut epithelium does not form. In achaete-scute complex and daughterless mutants the interstitial cell precursors do not develop and the number of adult midgut precursors is strongly reduced. Development of the principle midgut epithelial cells and formation of the midgut epithelium is restored in neurogenic proneural double mutants. The neurogenic/proneural genes are, in contrast to the neuroectoderm, not expressed in small clusters of cells but initially homogeneously in the endoderm suggesting that no prepattern exists which determines the position of the segregating cells. Hence, the segregation pattern solely depends on neurogenic/proneural gene interaction. Proneural genes are required but not sufficient to determine specific cell fates because they are required for cell type specification in both ectoderm and endoderm. Our data also suggest that the neurogenic/proneural genes are involved in the choice between epithelial versus mesenchymal cell morphologies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007150	Immunohistochemistry	Histochemical localization of immunoreactive substances using labeled antibodies as reagents.	Immunocytochemistry,Immunogold Techniques,Immunogold-Silver Techniques,Immunohistocytochemistry,Immunolabeling Techniques,Immunogold Technics,Immunogold-Silver Technics,Immunolabeling Technics,Immunogold Silver Technics,Immunogold Silver Techniques,Immunogold Technic,Immunogold Technique,Immunogold-Silver Technic,Immunogold-Silver Technique,Immunolabeling Technic,Immunolabeling Technique,Technic, Immunogold,Technic, Immunogold-Silver,Technic, Immunolabeling,Technics, Immunogold,Technics, Immunogold-Silver,Technics, Immunolabeling,Technique, Immunogold,Technique, Immunogold-Silver,Technique, Immunolabeling,Techniques, Immunogold,Techniques, Immunogold-Silver,Techniques, Immunolabeling
D007422	Intestines	The section of the alimentary canal from the STOMACH to the ANAL CANAL. It includes the LARGE INTESTINE and SMALL INTESTINE.	Intestine
D008648	Mesoderm	The middle germ layer of an embryo derived from three paired mesenchymal aggregates along the neural tube.	Mesenchyme,Dorsal Mesoderm,Intermediate Mesoderm,Lateral Plate Mesoderm,Mesenchyma,Paraxial Mesoderm,Dorsal Mesoderms,Intermediate Mesoderms,Lateral Plate Mesoderms,Mesenchymas,Mesoderm, Dorsal,Mesoderm, Intermediate,Mesoderm, Lateral Plate,Mesoderm, Paraxial,Mesoderms, Dorsal,Mesoderms, Intermediate,Mesoderms, Lateral Plate,Mesoderms, Paraxial,Paraxial Mesoderms,Plate Mesoderm, Lateral,Plate Mesoderms, Lateral
D009420	Nervous System	The entire nerve apparatus, composed of a central part, the brain and spinal cord, and a peripheral part, the cranial and spinal nerves, autonomic ganglia, and plexuses. (Stedman, 26th ed)	Nervous Systems,System, Nervous,Systems, Nervous
D002454	Cell Differentiation	Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.	Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D004330	Drosophila	A genus of small, two-winged flies containing approximately 900 described species. These organisms are the most extensively studied of all genera from the standpoint of genetics and cytology.	Fruit Fly, Drosophila,Drosophila Fruit Flies,Drosophila Fruit Fly,Drosophilas,Flies, Drosophila Fruit,Fly, Drosophila Fruit,Fruit Flies, Drosophila
D004707	Endoderm	The inner of the three germ layers of an embryo.	Definitive Endoderm,Definitive Endoderms,Endoderm, Definitive,Endoderms
D004848	Epithelium	The layers of EPITHELIAL CELLS which cover the inner and outer surfaces of the cutaneous, mucus, and serous tissues and glands of the body.	Mesothelium,Epithelial Tissue,Mesothelial Tissue,Epithelial Tissues,Mesothelial Tissues,Tissue, Epithelial,Tissue, Mesothelial,Tissues, Epithelial,Tissues, Mesothelial
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
D015870	Gene Expression	The phenotypic manifestation of a gene or genes by the processes of GENETIC TRANSCRIPTION and GENETIC TRANSLATION.	Expression, Gene,Expressions, Gene,Gene Expressions