The gene 18 wheeler is referred to in FlyBase by the symbol Dmel\18w (CG8896, FBgn0004364). It is a protein_coding_gene from Drosophila melanogaster. Based on sequence similarity, it is predicted to have molecular function: transmembrane signaling receptor activity. There is experimental evidence that it is involved in the biological process: immune response; cell adhesion; anatomical structure morphogenesis; antibacterial humoral response. 22 alleles are reported. The phenotypes of these alleles are annotated with: leg; eye; wing disc; antenna; adult abdomen; haltere; mesothoracic tergum; wing; ventral thoracic disc. It has one annotated transcript and one annotated polypeptide. Protein features are: Cysteine-rich flanking region, C-terminal; Leucine rich repeat 5; Leucine-rich repeat; Leucine-rich repeat, typical subtype; Leucine-rich repeat-containing N-terminal; Toll/interleukin-1 receptor homology (TIR) domain. Summary of modENCODE Temporal Expression Profile: Temporal profile ranges from a peak of high expression to a trough of low expression. Peak expression observed within 00-12 hour embryonic stages. Summary of FlyAtlas Anatomical Expression Data: Many larval and adult organs/tissues expressed at moderate or high levels. Expression at high levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: larval trachea, adult spermathecae. Expression at moderate levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: adult head, adult eye, larval/adult central nervous system, larval/adult hindgut, adult heart, adult fat body, adult salivary gland, adult ovary, larval/adult carcass. Comments on Affy2 ProbeSet: ProbeSet 1626509_at completely aligns to an exonic region of the only FlyBase-annotated transcript isoform of 18w. Gene sequence location is 2R:15999016..16004437.
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FB2013_03
FB2013_02
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18w transcripts are expressed in all stages of development tested. They are expressed in a complex pattern during embryogenesis. Expression is first observed just prior to cellular blastoderm formation in three stripes in the anterior portion of the embryo and a broader posterior domain. Subsequently, stripes are seen in the central region of the embryo. At late cellular blastoderm, secondary stripes appear leading to the transient expression of 18 stripes during early gastrulation and 20 stripes at stage 10. 18w expression overlaps the wg and en stripes and spans the parasegmental boundary. At maximum germ band extension, expression is observed along the ventral midline in small clusters of cells posterior to each stripe. Staining is also observed in salivary gland placodes, in tracheal pits, and in five areas in the presumptive head region. During germ band retraction, transcripts are less abundant and more restricted. They are observed in the developing tracheal system, the salivary gland anlagen, the anlagen for the anal plate, the posterior spiracles, the clypeolabrum, and in cells that participate in the formation of the dorsal vessel. In stage 15 and 16, 18w expression is also observed in regions of the head, pharynx, stomach, and hindgut.
18w is expressed in all developmental stages tested. Expression is first observed at the syncytial blastoderm stage in the presumptive hindgut, head regions, and parasegment 2. Shortly after, stripes of expression are seen first in the even numbered parasegments and then in the odd numbered parasegments. By the extended germ band stage, 18w is expressed in 15 transverse stripes with patches of expression corresponding to the 4 head segments and the hindgut as well. 18w expression in the trunk region was shown to overlap the wg and en stripes and spans the parasegmental boundary. At full germ band extension, the stripes begin to fade and expression is observed in segmentally repeated lateral clusters corresponding to the tracheal pits and the segmental grooves. Expression is accentuated in the cells surrounding the anterior and posterior spiracles. Transient expression in the CNS is also seen. Later, 18w expression is observed in the wing and haltere disc primordia, the dorsal vessel, the antennal-maxillary sense organs, the clypeolabrum, the anterior and posterior spiracles, and in the anal plate.
Summary of FlyAtlas Anatomical Expression Data: Many larval and adult organs/tissues expressed at moderate or high levels. Expression at high levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: larval trachea, adult spermathecae. Expression at moderate levels in the following post-embryonic organs or tissues: adult head, adult eye, larval/adult central nervous system, larval/adult hindgut, adult heart, adult fat body, adult salivary gland, adult ovary, 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
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
864.2
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Linear, scaled to Moderate expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
(864.2)
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
(622.1)
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
(653.4)
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Linear, scaled to High level expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
864.2
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
Linear, scaled to Very high expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
864.2
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
Very high
log, scaled to maximum expression level
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
864.2
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
log, scaled to Moderate expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
(864.2)
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
log, scaled to High level expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
864.2
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
Expression Level Scale
None
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
log, scaled to Very high expression
Tissue
Expression Level
Larval Central Nervous System
261.35
Larval Midgut
59
Larval Hindgut
153.8
Larval Malpighian Tubules
29.9
Larval Fat Body
55.8
Larval Salivary Gland
48.4
Larval Trachea
864.2
Larval Carcass
120.4
Adult Head
400.3
Adult Eye
330.05
Adult Brain
287.8
Adult Thoracic-Abdominal Ganglion
316
Adult Crop
77.2
Adult Midgut
57.5
Adult Hindgut
249.2
Adult Malpighian Tubules
21.1
Adult Fat Body
339.2
Adult Salivary Gland
295.5
Adult Heart
296.7
Adult VirginFemale Spermatheca
622.1
Adult InseminatedFemale Spermatheca
653.4
Adult Ovary
116.2
Adult Testis
39.2
Adult Male Accessory Gland
35.7
Adult Carcass
345.3
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 high expression to a trough of low expression. Peak expression observed within 00-12 hour embryonic stages.
[download data (TSV)]
Please Note FlyBase no
longer curates genomic clone accessions so this list
may not be complete
cDNA Clones ( 18 )
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.
Loss of function 18w mutant follicle cells exhibit delayed migration. The eggs laid by feamles with ovarian clones show defects in egg shape and dorsal appendage morphology.
The 18w protein functions as a receptor mediating intercellular communication during various developmental events, including pattern formation, imaginal cell determination and the larval immune response. Expression of 18w protein in non-adhesive Schneider 2 cells promotes heterophilic cell aggregation as seen in similar experiments with Tl and other receptor-ligand molecules.
18w encodes a protein that contains multiple leucine rich motifs (LRR) in its presumed extracellular domain. 18w may be involved in cell-to-cell interactions.
Molecular and phenotypic analysis suggests 18w participates in the developmental program specified by segmentation and homeotic genes as a cell adhesion or receptor molecule that facilitates cell movements.