D-mef2: a Drosophila mesoderm-specific MADS box-containing gene with a biphasic expression profile during embryogenesis.

Nguyen, Hanh T.; Bodmer, Rolf; Abmayr, Susan M.; McDermott, John C.; Spoerel, Nikolaus A.

doi:10.1073/pnas.91.16.7520

Cited by 160 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…The role of MEF2 in muscle formation has been demonstrated most clearly in D. melanogaster, which contains a single Mef2 gene, D-mef2 (21,37). Inactivation of D-mef2 results in embryos lacking differentiated skeletal, cardiac, and visceral muscle (1,22,42).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2A, the coding region of Mef2b contained seven exons and spanned about 3.5 kb. The positions of the introns in the region encoding the MADS box and MEF2 domain correspond exactly to those in the other vertebrate Mef2 genes (28) and in the Drosophila Mef2 gene, Dmef2 (21,37).…”

Section: Mef2b Is the Most Divergent Of The Vertebrate Mef2 Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, they have also been shown to be important for serum inducibility of the c-jun gene (10,11). There is a single Mef2 gene, D-mef2, in Drosophila melanogaster, which encodes a protein with the same DNA binding properties as the vertebrate MEF2 factors (21,37). This gene has been shown to be required for differentiation of skeletal, cardiac, and visceral muscle cells in the Drosophila embryo (1,22,42).…”

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MEF2B Is a Potent Transactivator Expressed in Early Myogenic Lineages

Molkentin

Firulli

Black

et al. 1996

Molecular and Cellular Biology

120

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There are four members of the myocyte enhancer binding factor 2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors, MEF2A, -B, -C, and -D, that have homology within an amino-terminal MADS box and an adjacent MEF2 domain that together mediate dimerization and DNA binding. MEF2A, -C, and -D have previously been shown to bind an A/T-rich DNA sequence in the control regions of numerous muscle-specific genes, whereas MEF2B was reported to be unable to bind this sequence unless the carboxyl terminus was deleted. To further define the functions of MEF2B, we analyzed its DNA binding and transcriptional activities. In contrast to previous studies, our results show that MEF2B binds the same DNA sequence as other members of the MEF2 family and acts as a strong transactivator through that sequence. Transcriptional activation by MEF2B is dependent on the carboxyl terminus, which contains two conserved sequence motifs found in all vertebrate MEF2 factors. During mouse embryogenesis, MEF2B transcripts are expressed in the developing cardiac and skeletal muscle lineages in a temporospatial pattern distinct from but overlapping with those of the other Mef2 genes. The mouse Mef2b gene maps to chromosome 8 and is unlinked to other Mef2 genes; its intron-exon organization is similar to that of the other vertebrate Mef2 genes and the single Drosophila Mef2 gene, consistent with the notion that these different Mef2 genes evolved from a common ancestral gene.The myocyte enhancer binding factor 2 (MEF2) family comprises a group of transcription factors that have homology within a MADS (MCM1-agamous-deficients-serum response factor) box at their amino termini and an adjacent motif known as the MEF2 domain (reviewed in reference 39). There are four Mef2 genes in vertebrates, Mef2a-d, whose products bind as homo-and heterodimers to the A/T-rich DNA sequence CTA(A/T) 4 TAG/A (2, 3, 5, 20, 29-31, 41, 50). MEF2 binding sites were first identified in the control regions of musclespecific genes, where they are required for transcriptional activation (8). More recently, they have also been shown to be important for serum inducibility of the c-jun gene (10, 11). There is a single Mef2 gene, D-mef2, in Drosophila melanogaster, which encodes a protein with the same DNA binding properties as the vertebrate MEF2 factors (21, 37). This gene has been shown to be required for differentiation of skeletal, cardiac, and visceral muscle cells in the Drosophila embryo (1, 22, 42).The MADS and MEF2 domains mediate DNA binding and dimerization of MEF2 monomers (33, 41). MEF2 factors can also interact with heterodimers formed between myogenic basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) factors, such as MyoD and myogenin, and ubiquitous bHLH proteins (32). Amino acids in the MADS and MEF2 domains appear to be the primary determinants of this type of protein-protein interaction (32). MEF2A, -C, and -D show similar DNA binding and transcriptional activation properties (2, 29-31, 41, 50). In contrast, it has been reported that human MEF2B is unable to bind the MEF2 consensus sequence unles...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mef2b Is the Most Divergent Of The Vertebrate Mef2 Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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MEF2B Is a Potent Transactivator Expressed in Early Myogenic Lineages

Molkentin

Firulli

Black

et al. 1996

Molecular and Cellular Biology

120

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“…3H). Double labeling experiments with anti-DSema 5C, anti-bGal in the rp298 enhancer trap line (Nose et al, 1998), and anti-DMEF2 (Nguyen et al, 1994) muscle marker showed that DSema 5C is not present in muscle progenitors or the mature muscles (Fig. 4D-I).…”

Section: Dsema 5c Rna and Protein Are Expressed In Mesodermal Precursmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization and mutant analysis of the Drosophila sema 5c gene

Bahri

Chia

Yang

2001

Developmental Dynamics

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Class V semaphorins are transmembrane glycoproteins characterised by the presence of thrombospondin type I (Tsp) repeats linked to their extracellular semaphorin domain. Sema 5C is the only class V semaphorin found in Drosophila. Dsema 5C RNA is maternally provided and its embryonic expression is prominent in the mesoderm and muscle attachment sites. Here, we show that DSema 5C exists in two protein isoforms as a result of alternative splicing and that both protein and RNA have similar expression patterns. Using a combination of various molecular markers, we show that the DSema 5C protein becomes enriched in mesodermal cells that would normally give rise to fat body and visceral structures. In late embryos, DSema 5C is expressed in segment boundary cells that would constitute subsets of muscle attachment sites. Both RNA and protein are excluded from the somatic precursors and the mature muscles. The expression data suggest DSema 5C localised to the epidermal component of muscle attachment sites. Mutations in Dsema 5C were isolated from a P-element excision screen and by blotting analysis. The Dsema 5C mutants are homozygous viable and show no obvious embryonic phenotypes, suggesting that the maternal and zygotic components of Dsema 5C are not essential for fly development.

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“…Dmef2 is the sole Drosophila member of the Myocyte Enhancing Factor 2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors (Nguyen et al, 1994). Dmef2 is required for the differentiation of mesodermal tissues within the developing Drosophila embryo, specifically the body wall, visceral and cardiac muscles (Bour et al, 1995;Lilly et al, 1995;Lin et al, 1996;Ranganayakulu et al, 1995).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression and functional analysis of a novel Fusion Competent Myoblast specific GAL4 driver

Beckett¹,

Rochlin²,

Duan³

et al. 2008

Gene Expression Patterns

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In the Drosophila embryo, body wall muscles are formed by the fusion of two cell types, Founder Cells (FCs) and Fusion Competent Myoblasts (FCMs). Using an enhancer derived from the Dmef2 gene ([C/D]*), we report the first GAL4 driver specifically expressed in FCMs. We have determined that this GAL4 driver causes expression in a subset of FCMs and, upon fusion, in developing myotubes from stage 14 onwards. In addition, we have shown that using this Dmef2-5x[C/D]*-GAL4 driver to express dominant negative Rac in only FCMs causes a partial fusion block. This novel GAL4 driver will provide a useful reagent to study Drosophila myoblast fusion and muscle differentiation.

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D-mef2: a Drosophila mesoderm-specific MADS box-containing gene with a biphasic expression profile during embryogenesis.

Abstract: We have identified a mesoderm-specific Drosophila gene, desigatedD-mef2. The

Cited by 160 publications

References 31 publications

MEF2B Is a Potent Transactivator Expressed in Early Myogenic Lineages

MEF2B Is a Potent Transactivator Expressed in Early Myogenic Lineages

Characterization and mutant analysis of the Drosophila sema 5c gene

Expression and functional analysis of a novel Fusion Competent Myoblast specific GAL4 driver

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