Basler K, Christen B, Hafen E
Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Switzerland.
Cell. 1991 Mar 22;64(6):1069-81. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90262-w.
Cell fate in the developing eye is determined by a cascade of inductive interactions. In this process, the sevenless protein--a receptor tyrosine kinase--is required for the specification of the R7 photoreceptor cell fate. We have constructed a gain-of-function sevenless mutation (SevS11) by overexpressing a truncated sevenless protein in the cells where sevenless is normally expressed. In SevS11 mutant flies, all sevenless-expressing cells initiate neural development. This results in the formation of multiple R7-like photoreceptors per ommatidium. Therefore, sevenless activity appears to be necessary and sufficient for the determination of R7 cell fate. These results illustrate the central role receptor tyrosine kinases can play in the specification of cell fate during development.
发育中的眼睛中的细胞命运由一系列诱导性相互作用决定。在这个过程中，无七蛋白（一种受体酪氨酸激酶）是R7光感受器细胞命运特化所必需的。我们通过在正常表达无七蛋白的细胞中过表达截短的无七蛋白构建了一个功能获得性无七突变体（SevS11）。在SevS11突变果蝇中，所有表达无七蛋白的细胞都启动神经发育。这导致每个小眼形成多个R7样光感受器。因此，无七蛋白活性似乎对于R7细胞命运的决定是必要且充分的。这些结果说明了受体酪氨酸激酶在发育过程中细胞命运特化中可以发挥的核心作用。
