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PMID: 8052612 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

D-mef2: a Drosophila mesoderm-specific MADS box-containing gene with a biphasic expression profile during embryogenesis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 91 ·No. 16 ·1994-08-02 ·Pages 7520-4

Nguyen HT, Bodmer R, Abmayr SM, McDermott JC, Spoerel NA

Abstract

We have identified a mesoderm-specific Drosophila gene, designated D-mef2. The encoded protein contains the MADS- and MEF2-specific domains, which are characteristic of the myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors. D-mef2 RNA is first detectable in the presumptive mesoderm at late cellular blastoderm stage and is expressed in all mesoderm after invagination. Following the dorsal migration of the mesodermal layer, D-mef2 expression becomes restricted to the primordia for visceral muscle and the heart. In the second phase, D-mef2 expression is first distinct in heart precursors and then becomes prominent sequentially in visceral and somatic muscles. twi activity is required for D-mef2 expression, while sna function may be needed for the maintenance of D-mef2 expression but not its initiation. D-mef expression is not dependent on the function of tin, and embryos that are deficient for the mesodermal gene DFR1 also show normal initiation of D-mef2 expression at blastoderm. These results suggest that D-mef2 could have a function in early mesoderm differentiation and may be required for subsequent cell fate specifications within the somatic and visceral/heart mesodermal layers.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Base Sequence Cell Differentiation DNA, Recombinant DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics Drosophila Proteins Drosophila melanogaster/embryology,genetics Genes, Insect/genetics In Situ Hybridization MEF2 Transcription Factors Mesoderm/physiology Molecular Sequence Data Mutation Myogenic Regulatory Factors RNA, Messenger/analysis Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Transcription Factors/genetics Transfection
Chemicals
DNA, Recombinant DNA-Binding Proteins Drosophila Proteins MEF2 Transcription Factors Mef2 protein, Drosophila Myogenic Regulatory Factors RNA, Messenger Transcription Factors
Authors & Affiliations
5 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Nguyen H T
Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Bodmer R
Abmayr S M
McDermott J C
Spoerel N A
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.91.16.7520
Published
1994-08-02
Pages
7520-4
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC44433
Subset
IM
Databases
GENBANK
U07422, X83527
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.16.7520 PMC Full Text View journal details
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