Cubadda, Y., Heitzler, P., Ray, R.P., Bourouis, M., Ramain, P., Gelbart, W., Simpson, P., Haenlin, M. (1997). u-shaped encodes a zinc finger protein that regulates the proneural genes achaete and scute during the formation of bristles in Drosophila.  Genes Dev. 11(22): 3083--3095.

FBrf0099172

Research paper

The pattern of the large sensory bristles on the notum of Drosophila arises as a consequence of the expression of the achaete and scute genes. The gene u-shaped encodes a novel zinc finger that acts as a transregulator of achaete and scute in the dorsal region of the notum. Viable hypomorphic u-shaped mutants display additional dorsocentral and scutellar bristles that result from overexpression of achaete and scute. In contrast, overexpression of u-shaped causes a loss of achaete-scute expression and consequently a loss of dorsal bristles. The effects on the dorsocentral bristles appear to be mediated through the enhancer sequences that regulate achaete and scute at this site. The effects of u-shaped mutants are similar to those of a class of dominant alleles of the gene pannier with which they display allele-specific interactions, suggesting that the products of both genes cooperate in the regulation of achaete and scute. A study of the sites at which the dorsocentral bristles arise in mosaic u-shaped nota, suggests that the levels of the u-shaped protein are crucial for the precise positioning of the precursors of these bristles.

PMC316693 (PMC) (EuropePMC)