Proximal-distal axis formation in the Drosophila leg

Nature. 1997 Jul 10;388(6638):139-45. doi: 10.1038/40563.

Abstract

Limb development requires the formation of a proximal-distal axis perpendicular to the main anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral body axes. The secreted signalling proteins Decapentaplegic and Wingless act in a concentration-dependent manner to organize the proximal-distal axis. Discrete domains of proximal-distal gene expression are defined by different thresholds of Decapentaplegic and Wingless activities. Subsequent modulation of the relative sizes of these domains by growth of the leg is required to form the mature pattern.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Patterning / genetics
  • Body Patterning / physiology*
  • Drosophila / embryology*
  • Drosophila / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins*
  • Embryonic Induction
  • Extremities / embryology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Insect Proteins / physiology*
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Wnt1 Protein

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Insect Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Wnt1 Protein
  • dac protein, Drosophila
  • dpp protein, Drosophila
  • wg protein, Drosophila