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- Creator:
- Sternberg, Paul W. and Van Buskirk, Cheryl L.
- Description:
- The ancient origin of sleep is evidenced by deeply conserved signaling pathways regulating sleep-like behavior, such as signaling through the Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In Caenorhabditis elegans, a sleep-like state can be induced at any time during development or adulthood through conditional expression of LIN-3/EGF. The behavioral response to EGF is mediated by EGFR activity within a single cell, the ALA neuron, and mutations that impair ALA differentiation are expected to confer EGF-resistance. Here we describe three such EGF-resistant mutants. One of these corresponds to the LIM class homeodomain (HD) protein CEH-14/Lhx3, and the other two correspond to Paired-like HD proteins CEH-10/Chx10 and CEH-17/Phox2. Whereas CEH-14 is required for ALA-specific gene expression throughout development, the Prd-like proteins display complementary temporal contributions to gene expression, with the requirement for CEH-10 decreasing as that of CEH-17 increases. We present evidence that CEH-17 participates in a positive autoregulatory loop with CEH-14 in ALA, and that CEH-10, in addition to its role in ALA differentiation, functions in the generation of the ALA neuron. Similarly to CEH-17, CEH-10 is required for the posterior migration of the ALA axons, but CEH-14 appears to regulate an aspect of ALA axon outgrowth that is distinct from that of the Prd-like proteins. Our findings reveal partial modularity among the features of a neuronal differentiation program and their coordination by Prd and LIM class HD proteins.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Identifier:
- 0950-1991
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Creator:
- Schupbach, Trudi and Van Buskirk, Cheryl L.
- Description:
- The Drosophila epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is active in different tissues and is involved in diverse processes such as patterning of the embryonic ectoderm, growth and differentiation of imaginal discs and cell survival. During oogenesis, the EGFR is expressed in the somatic follicle cells that surround individual oocyte nurse cell complexes. In response to germline signals, the follicle cells differentiate in a complex pattern, which in turn leads to the establishment of the egg axes. Two recent reports have shown that the strategies used to pattern posterior follicle cells are different from those used to pattern dorsal follicle cells. In posterior follicle cells, EGFR activity is translated into an on off response, whereas, in dorsal follicle cells, patterning mechanisms are initiated and refined by feedback that modulates receptor activity over time.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Identifier:
- 0962-8924
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge