Disease relevance of gdl

• Isolation of a novel gene from the DiGeorge syndrome critical region with homology to Drosophila gdl and to human LAMC1 genes [1].
• Hybrid dysgenesis in Drosophila is a syndrome of gonadal atrophy, sterility, and male recombination, and it occurs in the progeny of crosses between males that harbor certain transposable elements (TEs) and females that lack them [2].
• Gonadal dysgenesis showed a temperature- and sex-dependent repression pattern by the defective P elements of Muller-5 Birmingham chromosomes; at 21 degrees C there was virtually no repression of male sterility, but most effective repression of GD in females [3].
• Ovarian failure can result from several different genetic mechanisms-X chromosomal abnormalities, autosomal recessive genes causing various types of XX gonadal dysgenesis, and autosomal dominant genes [4].

High impact information on gdl

• Most cells of the visceral mesoderm fail to differentiate properly, and a portion of them are transformed into body wall musculature and gonadal mesoderm [5].
• An analysis of germ-line transformants reveals that gdl can be expressed properly outside the overlapping gene environment because a 1.8-kb DNA region contains all the sequences necessary for gdl sex-specific expression [6].
• The Drosophila gonadal (gdl) gene is a member of a gene cluster that maps cytogenetically to the 71CD interval of chromosome 3 [6].
• We discuss recent advances in understanding the migration of the ovarian border cells, embryonic blood cells, primordial germ cells, somatic gonadal precursors, and tracheal cells [7].
• The expression of scully mRNA is general to many tissues including the CNS; however, it is highest in both embryonic gonadal primordia and mature ovaries and testes [8].

Biological context of gdl

• An analysis of germ-line transformants harboring gdl-lacZ gene fusions provides information on gdl gene expression during gametogenesis [9].
• A common open reading frame (ORF) of 193 codons (ORF193) is present in all four gdl transcripts; a consequence of the additional sequences at the 5' end of the gdlM transcripts is the presence of an additional ORF of 39 codons (ORF39) [9].
• We have identified two DNA sequences required for the proper germ line expression of the Drosophila gonadal (gdl) gene [10].
• Furthermore, we present evidence from genetic analysis suggesting that, before stage 10 of embryogenesis, gonadal mesoderm and the fat body have not yet been specified as different cell types, but exist as a common pool of precursor cells requiring the functions of the tin, zfh-1 and cli genes for their development [11].
• The homeotic gene abdominalA limits the region of serpent activity by interfering in a mutually repressive feed back loop between gonadal and fat body development [12].

Anatomical context of gdl

• In many animal species, germ-line progenitors associate with gonadal somatic cells to form the embryonic gonads (EGs) that later develop into functional organ producing gametes [13].
• VASA protein is present in fetal and adult gonadal germ cells in both males and females and is most abundant in spermatocytes and mature oocytes [14].
• The balance between fat body and somatic gonadal fate in these serially homologous cell clusters is controlled by at least five genes [12].
• Here, we report that deregulated expression of serpent in the mesoderm induces the formation of ectopic fat cells and prevents the migration and coalescence of the somatic gonadal precursors [15].
• Gonads were mosaic with a frequency of 10.5% which indicates that the gonadal primordium originates from about 10 progenitor cells, and together with other evidence, suggests that these progenitor cells are located within a single segment (or parasegment) [16].

Associations of gdl with chemical compounds

• Glycoprotein hormones play important roles in thyroid and gonadal function in vertebrates [17].
• Males of the mutant strains failed to induce gonadal dysgenesis in crosses to Oregon-R females at 28.5 degrees C. Complementation tests showed that 3 of the induced mutations were mei-9 alleles, 2 were mei-41 alleles, 1 was a mus102 allele, and 2 were alleles at a newly identified MMS-sensitive locus, mus112 (map position: 1-32.8) [18].
• These data, when combined with evidence that 1,3-butadiene is carcinogenic in rodent gonadal tissues and is associated with gonadal atrophy in mice, constitute suggestive evidence that 1,3-butadiene may be a human germ cell mutagen [19].

Regulatory relationships of gdl

• In adult flies, Dmaf is expressed in somatic gonadal cells surrounding developing oocytes and spermatocytes [20].
• Zfh-1 is also expressed in the gonadal mesoderm throughout the development of this tissue [21].

Other interactions of gdl

• Here, we describe a developmental and molecular analysis of the role of iab-4 functions in gonadal development [22].
• We have analyzed the mechanism of sex determination in the germ line of Drosophila by manipulating three parameters: (1) the ratio of X-chromosomes to sets of autosomes (X:A); (2) the state of activity of the gene Sex-lethal (Sxl), and (3) the sex of the gonadal soma [23].
• During embryogenesis in Drosophila, Sox100B is expressed in two rows of large intestinal cells, in midgut basophilic cells, in the Malpighian tubules and at the posterior cap of gonadal mesoderm [24].
• We show that the maintenance of high levels of 412 expression in gonadal mesoderm is not induced by contact with germ cells, but rather depends on genetic control by the homeotic genes abdominal-A and Abdominal-B [25].
• An E box element is required for the expression of the ad4bp gene, a mammalian homologue of ftz-f1 gene, which is essential for adrenal and gonadal development [26].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of gdl

• Forty-six strains derived from American and French natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster were tested for the presence and activity of hobo elements by using Southern blotting and a gonadal dysgenesis assay [27].
• P yields a positive response both at the level of gonadal sterility (gonadal dysgenesis test) and in situ hybridization: after treatment, Oregon K and the wing-altered mutant bspw exhibit a normal number of P elements whereas the maternal strain Oregon K is totally devoid of P [28].

References