Simin K, Bates E A, Horner M A, Letsou A
Department of Human Genetics, Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA.
Genetics. 1998 Feb;148(2):801-13. doi: 10.1093/genetics/148.2.801.
TGF-beta (transforming growth factor-beta-) mediated signal transduction affects growth and patterning in a variety of organisms. Here we report a genetic characterization of the Drosophila punt gene that encodes a type II serine/threonine kinase TGF-beta/Dpp (Decapentaplegic) receptor. Although the punt gene was originally identified based on its requirement for embryonic dorsal closure, we have documented multiple periods of punt activity throughout the Drosophila life cycle. We demonstrate that potentially related embryonic punt phenotypes, defects in dorsoventral patterning and dorsal closure, correspond to distinct maternal and zygotic requirements for punt. In addition, we document postembryonic requirements for punt activity. The tight correspondence between both embryonic and postembryonic loss-of-function punt and dpp phenotypes implicates a role for Punt in mediating virtually all Dpp signaling events in Drosophila. Finally, our comparison of punt homoallelic and heteroallelic phenotypes provides direct evidence for interallelic complementation. Taken together, these results suggest that the Punt protein functions as a dimer or higher order multimer throughout the Drosophila life cycle.
转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）介导的信号转导影响多种生物体的生长和模式形成。在此，我们报告了果蝇punt基因的遗传学特征，该基因编码一种II型丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶TGF-β/ Dpp（Decapentaplegic）受体。尽管punt基因最初是根据其对胚胎背侧闭合的需求而被鉴定出来的，但我们已经记录了果蝇整个生命周期中punt的多个活动时期。我们证明，潜在相关的胚胎punt表型、背腹模式形成缺陷和背侧闭合缺陷，对应于punt不同的母体和合子需求。此外，我们记录了punt活性的胚胎后期需求。胚胎期和胚胎后期功能丧失的punt与dpp表型之间的紧密对应关系表明，Punt在介导果蝇几乎所有的Dpp信号事件中发挥作用。最后，我们对punt同型等位基因和异型等位基因表型的比较为等位基因间互补提供了直接证据。综上所述，这些结果表明，Punt蛋白在果蝇整个生命周期中作为二聚体或更高阶多聚体发挥作用。
