Disease relevance of slou

• To determine the cis-acting regulatory elements controlling the cell-specific expression of NK-1, we measured transiently expressed chloramphencol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene activities from transfected C2C12 myoblasts and NG108-15 neuroblastoma cells using various CAT constructs containing different 5' upstream regions of NK-1 [1].

High impact information on slou

• Gradually, four groups of S59-expressing mesodermal cells appear in each abdominal hemisegment, each one giving rise to a particular somatic muscle after fusion with surrounding myoblasts [2].
• In addition to the mesoderm, S59 is expressed in a subset of neuronal cells of the CNS and their precursors and also in cells of a small region of the midgut [2].
• Founders entrain muscle identity through the restricted expression of transcription factors such as S59, eve, and Kr, all of which are observed in subsets of the nautilus expressing founders [3].
• To specify Slouch cluster I, Wg signaling is required to maintain high levels of the myogenic transcriptional regulator Twist [4].
• The NK homeobox gene S59 was the first of a growing number of proposed 'identity genes' that have been found to be expressed in stereotyped patterns in specific subsets of muscle founders and their progenitor cells and are thought to control their developmental fates [5].

Biological context of slou

• The observed phenotypes upon mutation and ectopic expression of slouch include transformations of founder cell fates, thus confirming that slouch (S59) functions as an identity gene in muscle development [5].
• The amino acid sequence of the msh homeobox domain is highly homologous to the homeodomains of the Drosophila S59 and empty spiracles genes and the Hox 7 and Hox 8 family of vertebrate homeobox genes [6].
• The Drosophila NK-1 homeobox gene belongs to the NK-1 class that includes a large number of vertebrate homeobox genes and is shown to be expressed in specific muscle founder cells and a subset of neuronal cells in the ventral nerve cord during embryogenesis [1].

Anatomical context of slou

• Delivery of Wg to the mesoderm by the developing Central Nervous System (CNS) exploits the stereotypic formation of this tissue to provide high Wg levels to Slouch founder cell cluster II in a temporally specific manner [7].

Associations of slou with chemical compounds

• Using the GAL4-targetted expression system, we find that Wingless, a secreted glycoprotein and well characterized signalling molecule, acts directly on the mesoderm to ensure the formation of S59-expressing founder cells [8].

Other interactions of slou

• Specification of individual Slouch muscle progenitors in Drosophila requires sequential Wingless signaling [4].

References