Koop K E, MacDonald L M, Lobe C G
Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Mech Dev. 1996 Sep;59(1):73-87. doi: 10.1016/0925-4773(96)00582-5.
The groucho-related genes (Grg) of the mouse comprise at least four family members. In Drosophila, groucho is one of the neurogenic genes that participates in the Notch signalling pathway. The Groucho protein interacts with Hairy-related transcription factors to regulate segmentation, neurogenesis and sex determination. Thus, by analogy to the Drosophila proteins, murine Grg proteins may interact with mammalian Hairy and E(spl) homologues (Hes proteins) and take part in a signalling pathway downstream of murine Notch. We have isolated murine Grg4 cDNAs and examined Grg4 expression during embryogenesis. Transcripts of Grg4 were detected in proliferating epithelial tissues undergoing mesenchymal induction, overlapping with Grg3, Notch1 and Hes1 expression. Grg4 was also expressed in the central nervous system and somites, but in cells adjacent to Grg3-, Notch1-, and Hes1-expressing cells. This distinct pattern of expression suggests a role for Grg4 in later stages of cell differentiation than for the other mouse neurogenic gene homologues.
小鼠的类groucho相关基因（Grg）至少包含四个家族成员。在果蝇中，groucho是参与Notch信号通路的神经源性基因之一。Groucho蛋白与毛发相关转录因子相互作用，以调节体节形成、神经发生和性别决定。因此，类比果蝇蛋白，鼠类Grg蛋白可能与哺乳动物的毛发和E(spl)同源物（Hes蛋白）相互作用，并参与鼠类Notch下游的信号通路。我们分离了鼠类Grg4 cDNA，并检测了胚胎发育过程中Grg4的表达。在经历间充质诱导的增殖上皮组织中检测到Grg4的转录本，其与Grg3、Notch1和Hes1的表达重叠。Grg4也在中枢神经系统和体节中表达，但在与表达Grg3、Notch1和Hes1的细胞相邻的细胞中表达。这种独特的表达模式表明，与其他小鼠神经源性基因同源物相比，Grg4在细胞分化的后期发挥作用。
