Notch signaling patterns Drosophila mesodermal segments by regulating the bHLH transcription factor twist Journal Article
| Authors: | Tapanes-Castillo, A.; Baylies, M. K. |
| Article Title: | Notch signaling patterns Drosophila mesodermal segments by regulating the bHLH transcription factor twist |
| Abstract: | One of the first steps in embryonic mesodermal differentiation is allocation of cells to particular tissue fates. In Drosophila, this process of mesodermal subdivision requires regulation of the bHLH transcription factor Twist. During subdivision, Twist expression is modulated into stripes of low and high levels within each mesodermal segment. High Twist levels direct cells to the body wall muscle fate, whereas low levels are permissive for gut muscle and fat body fate. We show that Su(H)-mediated Notch signaling represses Twist expression during subdivision and thus plays a critical role in patterning mesodermal segments. Our work demonstrates that Notch acts as a transcriptional switch on mesodermal target genes, and it suggests that Notch/Su(H) directly regulates twist, as well as indirectly regulating twist by activating proteins that repress Twist. We propose that Notch signaling targets two distinct 'Repressors of twist' - the proteins encoded by the Enhancer of split complex [E(spl)-C] and the HLH gene extra machrochaetae (emc). Hence, the patterning of Drosophila mesodermal segments relies on Notch signaling changing the activities of a network of bHLH transcriptional regulators, which, in turn, control mesodermal cell fate. Since this same cassette of Notch, Su(H) and bHLH regulators is active during vertebrate mesodermal segmentation and/or subdivision, our work suggests a conserved mechanism for Notch in early mesodermal patterning. |
| Keywords: | signal transduction; controlled study; unclassified drug; nonhuman; animal cell; animals; animal tissue; gene targeting; cell division; signaling; embryo; membrane proteins; notch receptor; transcription factor; cell fate; drosophila; embryo pattern formation; morphogenesis; animalia; transcription factors; nuclear proteins; vertebrata; gene expression regulation; embryo, nonmammalian; gene expression regulation, developmental; regulatory mechanism; transcription regulation; receptors, notch; base sequence; dna primers; transcription factor twist; mesoderm; vertebrate; drosophila proteins; genetic code; body patterning; transcriptional regulation; muscle; hexapoda; muscle development; enhancer region; notch; twist transcription factor; fat body; suppressor of hairless; helix loop helix protein; promoter regions (genetics); bhlh; daughterless; twist; male; female; priority journal; article; enhancer of split; extra machrochaetae; subdivision; embryo segmentation |
| Journal Title: | Development |
| Volume: | 131 |
| Issue: | 10 |
| ISSN: | 0950-1991 |
| Publisher: | Company of Biologists |
| Date Published: | 2004-05-15 |
| Start Page: | 2359 |
| End Page: | 2372 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1242/dev.01113 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PUBMED: | 15128668 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Development (Cambridge) -- Cited By (since 1996):22 -- Export Date: 16 June 2014 -- CODEN: DEVPE -- Source: Scopus |
