Abstract
The homoeotic genes of Drosophila seem to be involved in the establishment of developmental pathways and the specification of different anatomical segment identities1,2. For example, it has been proposed that a function of the Antennapedia+ (Antp+) locus is to direct embryonic cells to follow a mesothoracic developmental pathway3–5. Using cloned cDNA probes of the Antp+ (ref. 6) locus and an improved in situ hybridization method7, we found that the neural cells of the embryonic and larval mesothorax possess higher levels of Antp+ transcripts than the neural tissue of the other segments7,8. Here we present further evidence that Antp+ products are associated with formation of the mesothorax, obtained by analysing the distribution of Antp+ transcripts in bithorax mutants. Embryos homozygous for any one of several bithorax mutations display a transformation of the epidermis of the more posterior segments into the homologous tissue of the mesothorax1. For example, the metathorax and first seven abdominal segments of embryos that completely lack the bithorax gene complex show a cuticular phenotype characteristic of the normal mesothorax1,9. By in situ hybridization of an Antp+ cDNA probe to tissue sections of these embryos, we have found that the neural cells of the transformed segments accumulate Antp+ transcripts to a level characteristic of the normal mesothorax.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Lewis, E. B. Nature 276, 565–570 (1978).
Kaufman, T. C., Lewis, R. & Wakimoto, B. Genetics 94, 115–133 (1980).
Struhl, G. Nature 292, 635–638 (1980).
Denell, R. E., Hummels, K. R., Wakimoto, B. T. & Kaufman, T. C. Devl Biol. 81, 43–50 (1981).
Struhl, G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 7380–7384 (1982).
Garber, R. L., Kuroiwa, A. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 2, 2027–2036 (1983).
Hafen, E., Levine, M., Garber, R. L. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 2, 617–623 (1983).
Levine, M., Hafen, E., Garber, R. L. & Gehring, W. J. EMBO J. 2, 2037–2046 (1983).
Duncan, I. Genetics 100, 520 (1981).
Poulson, D. F. in Biology of Drosophila (ed. Demerec, M.) 168–274 (Wiley, New York, 1950).
Jiménez, F. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Wilhelm Roux's Arch. dev. Biol. 190, 370–373 (1981).
Akam, M. EMBO J. 2, 2075–2084 (1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hafen, E., Levine, M. & Gehring, W. Regulation of Antennapedia transcript distribution by the bithorax complex in Drosophila. Nature 307, 287–289 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/307287a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/307287a0
This article is cited by
-
Chromatin accessibility plays a key role in selective targeting of Hox proteins
Genome Biology (2019)
-
The Hox genes Ultrabithorax and abdominal-A specify three different types of abdominalappendage in the springtail Orchesella cincta (Collembola)
EvoDevo (2014)
-
Development of the Deformed protein pattern in the embryo of the honeybee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera)
Roux's Archives of Developmental Biology (1992)
-
Spatial and temporal expression of an Antennapedia/lac Z gene construct integrated into the endogenous Antennapedia gene of Drosophila melanogaster
Roux's Archives of Developmental Biology (1992)
-
Targets of homeotic gene control in Drosophila
Nature (1990)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.