Reference Report

Reference
Citation	Estella, C., Mann, R.S. (2010). Non-Redundant Selector and Growth-Promoting Functions of Two Sister Genes, buttonhead and Sp1, in Drosophila Leg Development. PLoS Genet. 6(6): e1001001. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID	FBrf0211142
Publication Type	Research paper
PubMed ID	20585625
PubMed Abstract	The radically distinct morphologies of arthropod and tetrapod legs argue that these appendages do not share a common evolutionary origin. Yet, despite dramatic differences in morphology, it has been known for some time that transcription factors encoded by the Distalless (Dll)/Dlx gene family play a critical role in the development of both structures. Here we show that a second transcription factor family encoded by the Sp8 gene family, previously implicated in vertebrate limb development, also plays an early and fundamental role in arthropod leg development. By simultaneously removing the function of two Sp8 orthologs, buttonhead (btd) and Sp1, during Drosophila embryogenesis, we find that adult leg development is completely abolished. Remarkably, in the absence of these factors, transformations from ventral to dorsal appendage identities are observed, suggesting that adult dorsal fates become derepressed when ventral fates are eliminated. Further, we show that Sp1 plays a much more important role in ventral appendage specification than btd and that Sp1 lies genetically upstream of Dll. In addition to these selector-like gene functions, Sp1 and btd are also required during larval stages for the growth of the leg. Vertebrate Sp8 can rescue many of the functions of the Drosophila genes, arguing that these activities have been conserved, despite more than 500 million years of independent evolution. These observations suggest that an ancient Sp8/Dlx gene cassette was used in an early metazoan for primitive limb-like outgrowths and that this cassette was co-opted multiple times for appendage formation in multiple animal phyla.
DOI	10.1371/journal.pgen.1001001
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Language of Publication	English
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Publication Type	Journal
Abbreviation	PLoS Genet.
Title	PLoS Genetics
Publication Year	2005-
ISBN/ISSN	1553-7404 1553-7390
Data from Reference
Aberrations (1)
	Df(1)btd-Sp1
Alleles (26)
	BacA\p35^Scer\UAS.cHa btd^Scer\UAS.cSa btd^XA btd^XG CycE^Scer\UAS.cLa Dcr-2^Scer\UAS.cDa Dll¹⁷ Dll^Scer\UAS.cGa Ecol\lacZ^Dll.215 Ecol\lacZ^Dll.304 Mmus\Sp8^{Scer\UAS.T:Ivir\HA1} Scer\FLP1^hs.PS Scer\FLP1^Scer\UAS.cUa Scer\GAL4^btd-MD808 Scer\GAL4^dac-p7d23 Scer\GAL4^Dll-em212 Scer\GAL4^dpp.blk1 Scer\GAL4^prd.RG1 Scer\GAL4^tub.PU Scer\GAL80^ts.αTub84B Sp1^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} Sp1^GD4097 Sp1^L.Scer\UAS Sp1^Scer\UAS.cSa stg^Scer\UAS.cNa yki^Scer\UAS.cHa
Constructs (20)
	P{GAL4-dpp.blk1} P{GAL4-prd.F} P{GD4097} P{hsp70-flp} P{lacZ^Dll.215} P{lacZ^Dll.304} P{tub-GAL4.U} P{tubP-GAL80^ts} P{UAS-btd.S} P{UAS-CycE.L} P{UAS-Dcr-2.D} P{UAS-Dll.G} P{UAS-FLP1.U} P{UAS-p35.H} P{UAS-Sp1.L} P{UAS-Sp1.S} P{UAS-Sp1-RNAi} P{UAS-Sp8.HA} P{UAS-stg.N} P{UAS-yki}
Genes (24)
	BacA\p35 btd CG1354 CG32698 CycE dac Dcr-2 dlg1 Dll Ecol\lacZ esg eyg hth Lim1 Mmus\Sp8 Scer\FLP1 Scer\GAL4 Scer\GAL80 Sp1 stg T:Ivir\HA1 tsh vg yki
Insertions (5)
	P{GawB}btd^MD808 P{GawB}dac^p7d23 P{GawB}Dll^em212 P{XP}d01932 PBac{RB}CG32698^e03908
Natural transposons (1)
	P-element