Relationship between Drosophila gap gene tailless and a vertebrate nuclear receptor Tlx
Abstract
WE report here the identification of a unique vertebrate nuclear receptor, Tlx, which is expressed exclusively in the neuroepithelium of the embryonic brain. Sequence comparison reveals striking similarity to the product of the Drosophila terminal/gap gene tailless (tll)1, which is expressed in the embryonic brain and is required for brain development in flies. In vitro DNA-binding assays demonstrated that Tlx and Til proteins share a target gene specificity that is unique among the nuclear receptor superfamily. Ectopic expression of Tlx in fly embryos caused a repression of segmentation comparable to that elicited by Til. The similarities in structure, expression pattern, target gene specificity and phenotypes in trans-genic flies suggest conservation of genetic programs upstream and downstream of this Tlx/TH class of nuclear receptors during embryogenesis.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- August 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1038/370375a0
- Bibcode:
- 1994Natur.370..375Y