Peverali, F.A., Isaksson, A., Papavassiliou, A.A., Plastina, P., Staszewski, L.M., Mlodzik, M., Bohmann, D. (1996). Phosphorylation of Drosophila Jun by the MAP kinase rolled regulates photoreceptor differentiation.  EMBO J. 15(15): 3943--3950.

FBrf0089778

Research paper

Drosophila Jun (D-Jun) is a nuclear component of the receptor tyrosine kinase/Ras signal transduction pathway which triggers photoreceptor differentiation during eye development. Here we show that D-Jun is a substrate for the ERK-related Drosophila MAP kinase Rolled, which has previously been shown to be a part of this pathway. A D-Jun mutant that carries alanines in place of the Rolled phosphorylation sites acts as a dominant suppressor of photoreceptor cell fate if expressed in the eye imaginal disc. In contrast, a mutant in which the phosphorylation sites are replaced by phosphate-mimetic Asp residues, as well as a VP16-D-Jun fusion protein, can promote photoreceptor differentiation. These data implicate Jun phosphorylation in the choice between neuronal and non-neuronal fate during Drosophila eye development.

PMC452112 (PMC) (EuropePMC)