FoxK mediates TGF-beta signalling during midgut differentiation in flies.

ABSTRACT: Inductive signals across germ layers are important for the development of the endoderm in vertebrates and invertebrates (Tam, P.P., M. Kanai-Azuma, and Y. Kanai. 2003. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 13:393-400; Nakagoshi, H. 2005. Dev. Growth Differ. 47:383-392). In flies, the visceral mesoderm secretes signaling molecules that diffuse into the underlying midgut endoderm, where conserved signaling cascades activate the Hox gene labial, which is important for the differentiation of copper cells (Bienz, M. 1997. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 7:683-688). We present here a Drosophila melanogaster gene of the Fox family of transcription factors, FoxK, that mediates transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling in the embryonic midgut endoderm. FoxK mutant embryos fail to generate midgut constrictions

SUBMITTER: Casas-Tinto S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2600746 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature