High impact information on btn

• The btn mutation thus specifically eliminates the DM cells, and this genetic ablation in turn reveals a requirement for DM cells as cellular cues for axonal guidance during transverse nerve outgrowth and bifurcation of the median nerve [1].
• We have identified a novel homeodomain gene, buttonless (btn), that is specifically expressed in 20 cells of a single type during Drosophila embryonic development [1].
• Locally restricted activities of tinman are also observed during its early, general mesodermal expression, where tinman is required for the activation of the homeobox gene buttonless in precursors of the "dorsal median" (DM) glial cells along the ventral midline [2].
• We have determined that proper buttonless gene expression and dorsal median cell differentiation requires signals from underlying CNS midline cells [3].

References