Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 4 October 1991:
Vol. 254. no. 5028, pp. 118 - 122
DOI: 10.1126/science.1925551
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Science, Vol 254, Issue 5028, 118-122
Copyright © 1991 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Establishment of the mesoderm-neuroectoderm boundary in the Drosophila embryo

D Kosman, YT Ip, M Levine, and K Arora

Biology Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.

A gradient of the maternal morphogen dorsal establishes asymmetric patterns of gene expression along the dorsal-ventral axis of early embryos and activates the regulatory genes twist and snail, which are responsible for the differentiation of the ventral mesoderm. Expression of snail is restricted to the presumptive mesoderm, and the sharp lateral limits of this expression help to define the mesoderm-neuroectoderm boundary by repressing the expression of regulatory genes that are responsible for the differentiation of the neuroectoderm. The snail gene encodes a zinc finger protein, and neuroectodermal genes that are normally restricted to ventral-lateral regions of early embryos are expressed throughout ventral regions of snail- mutants. The formation of the sharp snail border involves dosage-sensitive interactions between dorsal and twist, which encode regulatory proteins that are related to the mammalian transcription factors NF-kB and MyoD, respectively.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Graded Dorsal and Differential Gene Regulation in the Drosophila Embryo.
G. T. Reeves and A. Stathopoulos (2009)
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 1, a000836
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Gene Networks in Development and Evolution Special Feature Sackler Colloquium: How the Dorsal gradient works: Insights from postgenome technologies.
J.-W. Hong, D. A. Hendrix, D. Papatsenko, and M. S. Levine (2008)
PNAS 105, 20072-20076
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Whole-genome ChIP-chip analysis of Dorsal, Twist, and Snail suggests integration of diverse patterning processes in the Drosophila embryo.
J. Zeitlinger, R. P. Zinzen, A. Stark, M. Kellis, H. Zhang, R. A. Young, and M. Levine (2007)
Genes & Dev. 21, 385-390
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The interpretation of morphogen gradients.
H. L. Ashe and J. Briscoe (2006)
Development 133, 385-394
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Requirement of abdominal-A and Abdominal-B in the developing genitalia of Drosophila breaks the posterior downregulation rule.
D. Foronda, B. Estrada, L. de Navas, and E. Sanchez-Herrero (2006)
Development 133, 117-127
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Drosophila WntD is a target and an inhibitor of the Dorsal/Twist/Snail network in the gastrulating embryo.
A. Ganguly, J. Jiang, and Y. T. Ip (2005)
Development 132, 3419-3429
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
From the Cover@;DELIM@;Gene Regulatory Networks Special Feature: Gene regulatory networks for development.
M. Levine and E. H. Davidson (2005)
PNAS 102, 4936-4942
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Gene Regulatory Networks Special Feature: Quantitative analysis of binding motifs mediating diverse spatial readouts of the Dorsal gradient in the Drosophila embryo.
D. Papatsenko and M. Levine (2005)
PNAS 102, 4966-4971
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A regulatory code for neurogenic gene expression in the Drosophila embryo.
M. Markstein, R. Zinzen, P. Markstein, K.-P. Yee, A. Erives, A. Stathopoulos, and M. Levine (2004)
Development 131, 2387-2394
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Investigating the origins of triploblasty: `mesodermal' gene expression in a diploblastic animal, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (phylum, Cnidaria; class, Anthozoa).
M. Q. Martindale, K. Pang, and J. R. Finnerty (2004)
Development 131, 2463-2474
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Linear signaling in the Toll-Dorsal pathway of Drosophila: activated Pelle kinase specifies all threshold outputs of gene expression while the bHLH protein Twist specifies a subset.
A. Stathopoulos and M. Levine (2003)
Development 129, 3411-3419
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Snail repressor positions Notch signaling in the Drosophila embryo.
J. Cowden and M. Levine (2002)
Development 129, 1785-1793
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Snail protein family regulates neuroblast expression of inscuteable and string, genes involved in asymmetry and cell division in Drosophila.
S. I. Ashraf and Y. T. Ip (2001)
Development 128, 4757-4767
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Human Slug Is a Repressor That Localizes to Sites of Active Transcription.
K. Hemavathy, S. C. Guru, J. Harris, J. D. Chen, and Y. T. Ip (2000)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 20, 5087-5095
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Repression by Suppressor of Hairless and activation by Notch are required to define a single row of single-minded expressing cells in the Drosophila embryo.
V. Morel and F. Schweisguth (2000)
Genes & Dev. 14, 377-388
   Abstract »    Full Text »
A novel Snail-related transcription factor Smuc regulates basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor activities via specific E-box motifs.
H. Kataoka, T. Murayama, M. Yokode, S. Mori, H. Sano, H. Ozaki, Y. Yokota, S.-I. Nishikawa, and T. Kita (2000)
Nucleic Acids Res. 28, 626-633
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
sog and dpp exert opposing maternal functions to modify toll signaling and pattern the dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila embryo.
H Araujo and E Bier (2000)
Development 127, 3631-3644
   Abstract »    PDF »
zfh-1, the Drosophila Homologue of ZEB, Is a Transcriptional Repressor That Regulates Somatic Myogenesis.
A. A. Postigo, E. Ward, J. B. Skeath, and D. C. Dean (1999)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 19, 7255-7263
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Drosophila homeobox genes zfh-1 and even-skipped are required for cardiac-specific differentiation of a numb-dependent lineage decision.
M. Su, M Fujioka, T Goto, and R Bodmer (1999)
Development 126, 3241-3251
   Abstract »    PDF »
Control of auxin-regulated root development by the Arabidopsis thaliana SHY2/IAA3 gene.
Q Tian and J. Reed (1999)
Development 126, 711-721
   Abstract »    PDF »
TAFII mutations disrupt Dorsal activation in the Drosophila embryo.
J. Zhou, J. Zwicker, P. Szymanski, M. Levine, and R. Tjian (1998)
PNAS 95, 13483-13488
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Control of cell lineage-specific development and transcription by bHLH-PAS proteins.
S. T. Crews (1998)
Genes & Dev. 12, 607-620
   Full Text »
The knirps and knirps-related genes organize development of the second wing vein in Drosophila.
K Lunde, B Biehs, U Nauber, and E Bier (1998)
Development 125, 4145-4154
   Abstract »    PDF »
The snail repressor establishes a muscle/notochord boundary in the Ciona embryo.
S Fujiwara, J. Corbo, and M Levine (1998)
Development 125, 2511-2520
   Abstract »    PDF »
The Dorsal-related immunity factor (Dif) can define the dorsal-ventral axis of polarity in the Drosophila embryo.
D Stein, J. Goltz, J Jurcsak, and L Stevens (1998)
Development 125, 2159-2169
   Abstract »    PDF »
Hyperactivation of the folded gastrulation pathway induces specific cell shape changes.
P Morize, A. Christiansen, M Costa, S Parks, and E Wieschaus (1998)
Development 125, 589-597
   Abstract »    PDF »
An anteroposterior Dorsal gradient in the Drosophila embryo.
A. M. Huang, J. Rusch, and M. Levine (1997)
Genes & Dev. 11, 1963-1973
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Twist-mediated Activation of the NK-4 Homeobox Gene in the Visceral Mesoderm of Drosophila Requires Two Distinct Clusters of E-box Regulatory Elements.
Y. M. Lee, T. Park, R. A. Schulz, and Y. Kim (1997)
J. Biol. Chem. 272, 17531-17541
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
CNS midline cells in Drosophila induce the differentiation of lateral neural cells.
T. Menne, K Luer, G. Technau, and C Klambt (1997)
Development 124, 4949-4958
   Abstract »    PDF »
Differential regulation of gastrulation and neuroectodermal gene expression by Snail in the Drosophila embryo.
K Hemavathy, X Meng, and Y. Ip (1997)
Development 124, 3683-3691
   Abstract »    PDF »
Induction of identified mesodermal cells by CNS midline progenitors in Drosophila.
K Luer, J Urban, C Klambt, and G. Technau (1997)
Development 124, 2681-2690
   Abstract »    PDF »
Dorsoventral patterning of the vertebrate neural tube is conserved in a protochordate.
J. Corbo, A Erives, A Di Gregorio, A Chang, and M Levine (1997)
Development 124, 2335-2344
   Abstract »    PDF »
Characterization of a notochord-specific enhancer from the Brachyury promoter region of the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis.
J. Corbo, M Levine, and R. Zeller (1997)
Development 124, 589-602
   Abstract »    PDF »
The Regulation of Enhancer-Promoter Interactions in the Drosophila Embryo.
J. Zhou, H.N. Cai, S. Ohtsuki, and M. Levine (1997)
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 62, 307-312
   Abstract »    PDF »
Regulation of a dpp target gene in the Drosophila embryo.
J Rusch and M Levine (1997)
Development 124, 303-311
   Abstract »    PDF »
Short-range transcriptional repressors mediate both quenching and direct repression within complex loci in Drosophila..
S Gray and M Levine (1996)
Genes & Dev. 10, 700-710
   Abstract »    PDF »
scratch, a pan-neural gene encoding a zinc finger protein related to snail, promotes neuronal development..
M Roark, M A Sturtevant, J Emery, H Vaessin, E Grell, and E Bier (1995)
Genes & Dev. 9, 2384-2398
   Abstract »    PDF »
The somatic-visceral subdivision of the embryonic mesoderm is initiated by dorsal gradient thresholds in Drosophila.
K Maggert, M Levine, and M Frasch (1995)
Development 121, 2107-2116
   Abstract »    PDF »
Dorsal-ventral patterning of the Drosophila embryo depends on a putative negative growth factor encoded by the short gastrulation gene..
V Francois, M Solloway, J W O'Neill, J Emery, and E Bier (1994)
Genes & Dev. 8, 2602-2616
   Abstract »    PDF »
Short-range repression permits multiple enhancers to function autonomously within a complex promoter..
S Gray, P Szymanski, and M Levine (1994)
Genes & Dev. 8, 1829-1838
   Abstract »    PDF »
Regulation of the dorsal morphogen by the Toll and torso signaling pathways: a receptor tyrosine kinase selectively masks transcriptional repression..
J Rusch and M Levine (1994)
Genes & Dev. 8, 1247-1257
   Abstract »    PDF »
Related target enhancers for dorsal and NF-kappa B signaling pathways.
S Gonzalez-Crespo and M Levine (1994)
Science 264, 255-258
   Abstract »    PDF »
Control of CNS midline transcription by asymmetric E-box-like elements: similarity to xenobiotic responsive regulation.
K. Wharton, R. Franks, Y Kasai, and S. Crews (1994)
Development 120, 3563-3569
   Abstract »    PDF »
XASH genes promote neurogenesis in Xenopus embryos.
B Ferreiro, C Kintner, K Zimmerman, D Anderson, and W. Harris (1994)
Development 120, 3649-3655
   Abstract »    PDF »
The ventral nervous system defective gene controls proneural gene expression at two distinct steps during neuroblast formation in Drosophila.
J. Skeath, G. Panganiban, and S. Carroll (1994)
Development 120, 1517-1524
   Abstract »    PDF »
Autonomy and non-autonomy in Drosophila mesoderm determination and morphogenesis.
M Leptin and S Roth (1994)
Development 120, 853-859
   Abstract »    PDF »
The formation of commissures in the Drosophila CNS depends on the midline cells and on the Notch gene.
T. Menne and C Klambt (1994)
Development 120, 123-133
   Abstract »    PDF »
Neurogenic expression of snail is controlled by separable CNS and PNS promoter elements.
Y. Ip, M Levine, and E Bier (1994)
Development 120, 199-207
   Abstract »    PDF »
Interactions between dorsal and helix-loop-helix proteins initiate the differentiation of the embryonic mesoderm and neuroectoderm in Drosophila..
S Gonzalez-Crespo and M Levine (1993)
Genes & Dev. 7, 1703-1713
   Abstract »    PDF »
Later embryogenesis: regulatory circuitry in morphogenetic fields.
E. Davidson (1993)
Development 118, 665-690
   Abstract »    PDF »
The gene tinman is required for specification of the heart and visceral muscles in Drosophila.
R Bodmer (1993)
Development 118, 719-729
   Abstract »    PDF »
Influence of Drosophila ventral epidermal development by the CNS midline cells and spitz class genes.
S. Kim and S. Crews (1993)
Development 118, 893-901
   Abstract »    PDF »
Molecular characterization of the lethal of scute genetic function.
M. Martin-Bermudo, F Gonzalez, M Dominguez, I Rodriguez, M Ruiz-Gomez, S Romani, J Modolell, and F Jimenez (1993)
Development 118, 1003-1012
   Abstract »    PDF »
Mechanisms of dorsal-ventral axis determination in Drosophila embryos revealed by cytoplasmic transplantations.
S Roth (1993)
Development 117, 1385-1396
   Abstract »    PDF »
The Drosophila gene pointed encodes two ETS-like proteins which are involved in the development of the midline glial cells.
C. Klambt (1993)
Development 117, 163-176
   Abstract »    PDF »
Isolation of Sna, a mouse gene homologous to the Drosophila genes snail and escargot: its expression pattern suggests multiple roles during postimplantation development.
D. E. Smith, F. Franco del Amo, and T. Gridley (1992)
Development 116, 1033-1039
   Abstract »    PDF »
Gene regulation in two dimensions: the proneural achaete and scute genes are controlled by combinations of axis-patterning genes through a common intergenic control region..
J B Skeath, G Panganiban, J Selegue, and S B Carroll (1992)
Genes & Dev. 6, 2606-2619
   Abstract »    PDF »
deadpan, an essential pan-neural gene in Drosophila, encodes a helix-loop-helix protein similar to the hairy gene product..
E Bier, H Vaessin, S Younger-Shepherd, L Y Jan, and Y N Jan (1992)
Genes & Dev. 6, 2137-2151
   Abstract »    PDF »
The dorsal gradient morphogen regulates stripes of rhomboid expression in the presumptive neuroectoderm of the Drosophila embryo..
Y T Ip, R E Park, D Kosman, E Bier, and M Levine (1992)
Genes & Dev. 6, 1728-1739
   Abstract »    PDF »
dorsal-twist interactions establish snail expression in the presumptive mesoderm of the Drosophila embryo..
Y T Ip, R E Park, D Kosman, K Yazdanbakhsh, and M Levine (1992)
Genes & Dev. 6, 1518-1530
   Abstract »    PDF »
The generation of cell diversity during early neurogenesis in Drosophila.
C. Cabrera (1992)
Development 115, 893-901
   PDF »
Regulation of a segmentation stripe by overlapping activators and repressors in the Drosophila embryo.
D Stanojevic, S Small, and M Levine (1991)
Science 254, 1385-1387
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)