Abstract
How TGF-beta-type ligands achieve signaling specificity during development is only partially understood. Here, we show that Dawdle, one of four Activin-type ligands in Drosophila, preferentially signals through Babo(c), one of three isoforms of the Activin Type-I receptor that are expressed during development. In cell culture, Dawdle signaling is active in the presence of the Type-II receptor Punt but not Wit, demonstrating that the Type-II receptor also contributes to the specificity of the signaling complex. During development, different larval tissues express unique combinations of these receptors, and ectopic expression of Babo(c) in a tissue where it is not normally expressed at high levels can make that tissue sensitive to Dawdle signaling. These results reveal a mechanism by which distinct cell types can discriminate between different Activin-type signals during development as a result of differential expression of Type-I receptor isoforms.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Activin Receptors / chemistry
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Activin Receptors / genetics
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Activin Receptors / metabolism*
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Activin Receptors, Type II / metabolism
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Activins / metabolism*
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Body Patterning
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Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
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Drosophila Proteins / chemistry
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Drosophila Proteins / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
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Drosophila melanogaster / cytology
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Drosophila melanogaster / embryology
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Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
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Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Ligands
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Protein Isoforms / chemistry
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Protein Isoforms / genetics
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Protein Isoforms / metabolism
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Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
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Signal Transduction*
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Wings, Animal / embryology
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Wings, Animal / metabolism
Substances
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Carrier Proteins
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Daw protein, Drosophila
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Drosophila Proteins
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Ligands
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Protein Isoforms
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Receptors, Cell Surface
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wit protein, Drosophila
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Activins
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Activin Receptors
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Activin Receptors, Type II
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Babo protein, Drosophila
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put protein, Drosophila