The gene spatzle is referred to in FlyBase by the symbol Dmel\spz (CG6134, FBgn0003495). It is a protein_coding_gene from Drosophila melanogaster. There is experimental evidence that it has the molecular function: growth factor activity; protein homodimerization activity; Toll binding. There is experimental evidence for 13 unique biological process terms, many of which group under: biological regulation; response to stress; immune response; dorsal/ventral axis specification; defense response to fungus; single-organism developmental process; immune system process; regionalization; response to other organism; cellular component organization or biogenesis; defense response to bacterium. 69 alleles are reported. The phenotypes of these alleles are annotated with: embryonic/first instar larval cuticle; embryonic/larval fat body; embryonic/larval hemocoel; embryonic/larval somatic muscle. It has 8 annotated transcripts and 8 annotated polypeptides. Summary of modENCODE Temporal Expression Profile: Temporal profile ranges from a peak of moderately high expression to a trough of very low expression. Peak expression observed within 00-06 hour embryonic stages, during early pupal stages, in adult female stages. Summary of FlyAtlas Anatomical Expression Data: Expression at high levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: adult salivary gland. Expression at moderate levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: adult head, adult eye, adult thoracico-abdominal ganglion, adult crop, larval/adult hindgut, larval fat body, larval salivary gland, adult female reproductive system, larval/adult carcass. Comments on Affy2 ProbeSet: ProbeSet 1641068_a_at completely aligns to an exonic region common to each of the 12 FlyBase-annotated transcript isoforms of spz. Gene sequence location is 3R:22890712..22895792.
User Contributed Data
External Summaries
Phenotypic Description from the Red Book (Lindsley
& Zimm 1992)
Gene/Allele symbols may differ
from current usage
spz: spaztle
Maternal-effect lethal. Embryos dorsalized, germline dependent. Phenotypic rescue achieved by injection of
cytoplasm or poly(A)+RNA from wild-type embryos into young
embryos produced by spz females; cytoplasm more effective than
RNA (Seifert et al.). Temperature-sensitive period of spz3
extends from oogenesis through fertilization until about the
time of pole-cell formation. Strong alleles amorphic by deficiency testing. Pole-cell-transplantation studies indicate
that spz acts in germ line and not soma of mother (Seifert et
al.).
Recent Updates
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FB2013_03
FB2013_02
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spz transcripts are detected in RNA from ovaries and early embryos. In embryos, spz transcripts are rare and disappear within 2 hours after egg laying.
Summary of FlyAtlas Anatomical Expression Data: Expression at high levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: adult salivary gland. Expression at moderate levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: adult head, adult eye, adult thoracico-abdominal ganglion, adult crop, larval/adult hindgut, larval fat body, larval salivary gland, adult female reproductive system, larval/adult carcass.
[download data (TSV)]
Guide to FlyAtlas expression level colors
No expression (0 - 9.999)
Low expression (10 - 99.999)
Moderate expression (100 - 499.999)
High level expression (500 - 999.999)
Very high expression (>999.999)
Linear, scaled to maximum expression level
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Linear, scaled to Moderate expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Linear, scaled to High level expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
Linear, scaled to Very high expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
Very high
log, scaled to maximum expression level
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
log, scaled to Moderate expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
log, scaled to High level expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
log, scaled to Very high expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
96.85
Larval Midgut
19.5
Larval Hindgut
119.5
Larval Malpighian Tubules
13.7
Larval Fat Body
112.6
Larval Salivary Gland
416.5
Larval Trachea
98.225
Larval Carcass
142.925
Adult Head
237.5
Adult Eye
111.025
Adult Brain
89.1
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
127.8
Adult Crop
301
Adult Midgut
20
Adult Hindgut
110.8
Adult Malpighian Tubules
6.7
Adult Fat Body
88.4
Adult Salivary Gland
502.7
Adult Heart
68.425
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
115.7
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
90.6
Adult Ovary
375.8
Adult Testis
29.7
Adult Male Accessory Gland
28.8
Adult Carcass
213.9
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
Heatmap
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
Larval Midgut
Larval Hindgut
Larval Malpighian Tubules
Larval Fat Body
Larval Salivary Gland
Larval Trachea
Larval Carcass
Adult Head
Adult Eye
Adult Brain
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
Adult Crop
Adult Midgut
Adult Hindgut
Adult Malpighian Tubules
Adult Fat Body
Adult Salivary Gland
Adult Heart
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
Adult Ovary
Adult Testis
Adult Male Accessory Gland
Adult Carcass
FlyAtlas Organ/Tissue Expression, larval vs. adult
Summary of modENCODE Temporal Expression Profile: Temporal profile ranges from a peak of moderately high expression to a trough of very low expression. Peak expression observed within 00-06 hour embryonic stages, during early pupal stages, in adult female stages.
[download data (TSV)]
Please Note FlyBase no
longer curates genomic clone accessions so this list
may not be complete
cDNA Clones ( 117 )
Please Note
This section lists
cDNAs and ESTs that fall within the genomic extent
of the gene model, which may include cDNAs and ESTs
of genes within introns, or of overlapping genes.
Please see GBrowse for alignment of the cDNAs and ESTs
to the gene model.
A dorsalising activity for the heterologous ea, spz and Tl proteins in UV-ventralised Xenopus embryos is demonstrated: spz rescues axis structures in UV-ventralised Xenopus embryos. The activity is inhibited by co-injection of a dominant cact variant.
NT1 amd spz are expressed in the embryonic lateral muscles in a complementary pattern, suggesting that they may aid targeting by different axonal projections and promote the survival of distinct subsets of neurons.
The mature, processed, form of the spz gene product binds to the Tl ectodomain with high affinity and with a stoichiometry of one spz dimer to two Tl receptors. The spz pro-domain sequence acts to prevent interaction of the spz cytokine and its receptor Tl.
ea can directly cleave spz at a unique position, the spz carboxy-terminal fragment generated has the biological and biochemical properties of the polarising activity of spz, it exists as a disulfide-linked dimer and appears to share structural similarities with the nerve growth factor and the neurotrophin family of growth factor ligands.
The embryonic regulatory pathway, comprising the gene products between spz and cact (Tl, tub and pll) but not the genes acting upstream or downstream (ea and dl), is involved in the induction of the Drs gene in adults. Mutations that affect the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides dramatically lower the resistance of flies to infection.
The secreted spz product must be activated by proteolytic cleavage, and localized proteolytic processing of the spz protein determines where the receptor, Tl, is active.
spz is the soluble extracellular factor (polarising activity) that induces ventral structures when injected into the extracellular space of embryos.Proteolytic processing of spz product generates a polarised form of spz which defines embryonic dorsal ventral polarity by activation of Tl on the ventral side of the embryo.
Double mutant combinations of spz with ea alleles demonstrate that spatial regulation of ea activity by localized zymogen activation is a key initial event in defining the polarity of the dorsal-ventral embryonic pattern.
Pitsouli and Perrimon, 2013, Sci. Signal. 6(263): ra12
The homeobox transcription factor cut coordinates patterning and growth during Drosophila airway remodeling. [FBrf0220848]
Buendia et al., 2012, BMC Genomics 13 Suppl 2: S1
Identification of conserved splicing motifs in mutually exclusive exons of 15 insect species. [FBrf0218188]
Cho et al., 2012, Curr. Biol. 22(11): 1013--1018
A ventrally localized protease in the Drosophila egg controls embryo dorsoventral polarity. [FBrf0218583]
Gilchrist et al., 2012, Genes Dev. 26(9): 933--944
Regulating the regulators: the pervasive effects of Pol II pausing on stimulus-responsive gene networks. [FBrf0218258]
Haskel-Ittah et al., 2012, Cell 150(5): 1016--1028
Self-organized shuttling: generating sharp dorsoventral polarity in the early Drosophila embryo. [FBrf0219335]
Lemaitre et al., 2012, J. Immunol. 188(11): 5210--5220
Pillars Article: The Dorsoventral Regulatory Gene Cassette spatzle/Toll/cactus Controls the Potent Antifungal Response in Drosophila Adults. Cell. 1996. 86: 973-983. [FBrf0218343]
Nam et al., 2012, EMBO J. 31(5): 1253--1265
Genetic evidence of a redox-dependent systemic wound response via Hayan Protease-Phenoloxidase system in Drosophila. [FBrf0217593]
Tsuzuki et al., 2012, Sci. Rep. 2: 210
Drosophila growth-blocking peptide-like factor mediates acute immune reactions during infectious and non-infectious stress. [FBrf0217467]
Vanha-Aho et al., 2012, PLoS ONE 7(5): e37153
Functional Characterization of the Infection-Inducible Peptide Edin in Drosophila melanogaster. [FBrf0218357]
Akhouayri et al., 2011, PLoS Pathog. 7(10): e1002319
Toll-8/tollo negatively regulates antimicrobial response in the Drosophila respiratory epithelium. [FBrf0216452]
Bou Aoun et al., 2011, J. Innate Immun. 3(1): 52--64
Analysis of thioester-containing proteins during the innate immune response of Drosophila melanogaster. [FBrf0212631]
Fullaondo et al., 2011, Mol. Cell. Biol. 31(14): 2960--2972
Spn1 Regulates the GNBP3-Dependent Toll Signaling Pathway in Drosophila melanogaster. [FBrf0214037]
Glittenberg et al., 2011, Dis. Model Mech. 4(4): 515--525
Pathogen and host factors are needed to provoke a systemic host response to gastrointestinal infection of Drosophila larvae by Candida albicans. [FBrf0214008]
Glittenberg et al., 2011, Dis. Model Mech. 4(4): 504--514
Wild-type Drosophila melanogaster as an alternative model system for investigating the pathogenicity of Candida albicans. [FBrf0214028]
Griffin et al., 2011, Eur. J. Immunol. 41(3): 798--812
A poxviral homolog of the Pellino protein inhibits Toll and Toll-like receptor signalling. [FBrf0214415]
Herren and Lemaitre, 2011, Cell. Microbiol. 13(9): 1385--1396
Spiroplasma and host immunity: activation of humoral immune responses increases endosymbiont load and susceptibility to certain Gram-negative bacterial pathogens in Drosophila melanogaster. [FBrf0214693]
Marcu et al., 2011, PLoS ONE 6(1): e15361
Innate Immune Responses of Drosophila melanogaster Are Altered by Spaceflight. [FBrf0212851]
Narbonne-Reveau et al., 2011, PLoS ONE 6(2): e17470
Lack of an antibacterial response defect in Drosophila toll-9 mutant. [FBrf0213211]
Wang et al., 2011, Infect. Immun. 79(2): 606--616
Host and Pathogen Glycosaminoglycan-Binding Proteins Modulate Antimicrobial Peptide Responses in Drosophila melanogaster. [FBrf0212806]
Zaidman-Rémy et al., 2011, PLoS ONE 6(2): e17231
Drosophila Immunity: Analysis of PGRP-SB1 Expression, Enzymatic Activity and Function. [FBrf0213192]
Zhao et al., 2011, J. Biol. Chem. 286(8): 6211--6218
Antimicrobial Peptides Increase Tolerance to Oxidant Stress in Drosophila melanogaster. [FBrf0213053]