Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1987 Jul;6(7):2085–2092. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02474.x

The achaete-scute complex is expressed in neurogenic regions of Drosophila embryos

Susana Romani 1, Sonsoles Campuzano 1, Juan Modolell 1
PMCID: PMC553599  PMID: 16453781

Abstract

The achaete-scute gene complex (AS-C) of Drosophila melanogaster is involved in the development of the embryonic central nervous system and the cuticular sensory organs of both larva and adult. We have determined the embryonic spatial distributions of three transcripts encoded in the achaete, scute α and lethal of scute regions of the complex. The RNAs are present mainly between the blastoderm/early gastrula and the stage of germ band shortening. The patterns of expression are complex and evolve rapidly, affecting most or all of the known neurogenic regions. Gene expression precedes and is concomitant with the histological appearance of precursors of neural cells. These results support a role for the AS-C in determination and early differentiation of embryonic neural cells.

Keywords: achaete-scute complex, Drosophila, pattern formation, neurogenesis, gene expression

Full text

PDF
2085

Images in this article

2085Fig. 1.
on p.2085
2086Fig. 2.
on p.2086
2087Fig. 3.
on p.2087
2089Fig. 4.
on p.2089

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Akam M. E., Martinez-Arias A. The distribution of Ultrabithorax transcripts in Drosophila embryos. EMBO J. 1985 Jul;4(7):1689–1700. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb03838.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Campuzano S., Balcells L., Villares R., Carramolino L., García-Alonso L., Modolell J. Excess function hairy-wing mutations caused by gypsy and copia insertions within structural genes of the achaete-scute locus of Drosophila. Cell. 1986 Jan 31;44(2):303–312. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90764-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Campuzano S., Carramolino L., Cabrera C. V., Ruíz-Gómez M., Villares R., Boronat A., Modolell J. Molecular genetics of the achaete-scute gene complex of D. melanogaster. Cell. 1985 Feb;40(2):327–338. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90147-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cox K. H., DeLeon D. V., Angerer L. M., Angerer R. C. Detection of mrnas in sea urchin embryos by in situ hybridization using asymmetric RNA probes. Dev Biol. 1984 Feb;101(2):485–502. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(84)90162-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Doe C. Q., Goodman C. S. Early events in insect neurogenesis. II. The role of cell interactions and cell lineage in the determination of neuronal precursor cells. Dev Biol. 1985 Sep;111(1):206–219. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(85)90446-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. García-Bellido A. Genetic Analysis of the Achaete-Scute System of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. Genetics. 1979 Mar;91(3):491–520. doi: 10.1093/genetics/91.3.491. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. García-Bellido A., Santamaria P. Developmental Analysis of the Achaete-Scute System of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. Genetics. 1978 Mar;88(3):469–486. doi: 10.1093/genetics/88.3.469. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ghysen A., Richelle J. Determination of sensory bristles and pattern formation in Drosophila. II. The achaete-scute locus. Dev Biol. 1979 Jun;70(2):438–452. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(79)90037-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hafen E., Levine M., Garber R. L., Gehring W. J. An improved in situ hybridization method for the detection of cellular RNAs in Drosophila tissue sections and its application for localizing transcripts of the homeotic Antennapedia gene complex. EMBO J. 1983;2(4):617–623. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01472.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jiménez F., Campos-Ortega J. A. A region of the Drosophila genome necessary for CNS development. Nature. 1979 Nov 15;282(5736):310–312. doi: 10.1038/282310a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Martinez-Arias A., Lawrence P. A. Parasegments and compartments in the Drosophila embryo. Nature. 1985 Feb 21;313(6004):639–642. doi: 10.1038/313639a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McKnight S. L., Miller O. L., Jr Ultrastructural patterns of RNA synthesis during early embryogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster. Cell. 1976 Jun;8(2):305–319. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(76)90014-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. White K., DeCelles N. L., Enlow T. C. Genetic and developmental analysis of the locus vnd in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 1983 Jul;104(3):433–448. doi: 10.1093/genetics/104.3.433. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. White K. Defective neural development in Drosophila melanogaster embryos deficient for the tip of the X chromosome. Dev Biol. 1980 Dec;80(2):332–344. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(80)90409-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES