Biomaterial Database

atonal is a proneural gene that directs chordotonal organ formation in the Drosophila peripheral nervous system. 1993

A P Jarman, and Y Grau, and L Y Jan, and Y N Jan

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco 94143.

In the Drosophila peripheral nervous system, proneural genes of the achaete-scute complex (ASC) are required for formation of the precursors of external sense organs but not of chordotonal organs. We report the isolation of a gene, atonal (ato), with evidence that it is a proneural gene for the formation of chordotonal organs. This gene is expressed in the proneural clusters and sense organ precursors that give rise to the embryonic and adult chordotonal, but not external sense, organs. Chordotonal organs are eliminated in embryos carrying chromosomal deficiencies that remove ato. Like the ASC products, ato protein contains a basic-helix-loop-helix region and heterodimerizes with daughterless protein to bind to E boxes. Moreover, ectopic expression of ato promotes the formation of extra sense organs. Despite similar proneural properties, we find that ectopic expression of the ASC genes promotes external sense organ formation exclusively, whereas ato promotes chordotonal organ formation preferentially. Thus, proneural genes are major determinants of neuronal identity.

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
D009419	Nerve Tissue Proteins		Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D010525	Peripheral Nerves	The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic, cranial, and spinal nerves. Peripheral nerves contain non-neuronal cells and connective tissue as well as axons. The connective tissue layers include, from the outside to the inside, the epineurium, the perineurium, and the endoneurium.	Endoneurium,Epineurium,Perineurium,Endoneuriums,Epineuriums,Nerve, Peripheral,Nerves, Peripheral,Perineuriums,Peripheral Nerve
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
D004252	DNA Mutational Analysis	Biochemical identification of mutational changes in a nucleotide sequence.	Mutational Analysis, DNA,Analysis, DNA Mutational,Analyses, DNA Mutational,DNA Mutational Analyses,Mutational Analyses, DNA
D004268	DNA-Binding Proteins	Proteins which bind to DNA. The family includes proteins which bind to both double- and single-stranded DNA and also includes specific DNA binding proteins in serum which can be used as markers for malignant diseases.	DNA Helix Destabilizing Proteins,DNA-Binding Protein,Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Binding Protein,DNA Single-Stranded Binding Protein,SS DNA BP,Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein,Binding Protein, DNA,DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Single Stranded Binding Protein,DNA-Binding Protein, Single-Stranded,Protein, DNA-Binding,Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein,Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins
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
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