Abstract
The Dorsal morphogen acts as both an activator and a repressor of transcription in the Drosophila embryo to regulate the expression of dorsal/ventral patterning genes. Circumstantial evidence has suggested that Dorsal is an intrinsic activator and that additional factors (corepressors) convert it into a repressor. These corepressors, however, have previously eluded definitive identification. We show here, via the analysis of embryos lacking the maternally encoded Groucho corepressor and via protein-binding assays, that recruitment of Groucho to the template by protein:protein interactions is required for the conversion of Dorsal from an activator to a repressor. Groucho is therefore a critical component of the dorsal/ventral patterning system.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2952-2957 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Genes and Development |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 22 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 15 Nov 1997 |
Keywords
- Corepressor
- Dorsal
- Drosophila
- Embryogenesis
- Groucho
- Pattern formation