The Drosophila segmentation gene runt encodes a novel nuclear regulatory protein that is also expressed in the developing nervous system.

Abstract

Generation of the anterior-posterior body pattern in the Drosophila embryo requires the activity of the segmentation genes. The segmentation gene runt has been classified as one of the primary pair-rule genes because of the pivotal role it plays in regulating the expression of other pair-rule genes. Here, we present the structure of this gene and describe the pattern of runt protein expression during embryogenesis. The deduced protein sequence shows no obvious overall homology with any sequences in the data base. The absence of an identifiable transcription factor motif (e.g., homeo box, zinc finger, leucine zipper, or helix-loop-helix) makes runt different from the other early-acting segmentation proteins. A runt-specific polyclonal antibody was generated and used to demonstrate that the subcellular location of the protein is in the nucleus. Doublestaining immunolocalization experiments were used to determine the overlap of the runt protein pattern with the patterns of the pair-rule genes hairy (/1), even-skipped (eve), and fushi tarazu (ftz). We found that the patterns of runt and ha/ry are complementary. Their phasing is shifted anteriorly by two cell diameters with respect to the complementary eve and ftz patterns. Experiments with the runt antibody also indicated that the protein is present throughout embryogenesis and is expressed extensively in the developing central and peripheral nervous system.

Gsh‐1: A novel murine homeobox gene expressed in the central nervous system

“…In addition, there is an eight amino acid polyalanine tract encoded by bases 522 to 545. Similar polyalanine runs have been previously observed in several developmentally important genes, including engrailed (Macdonald et al, 19861, euenskipped (Poole et al, 1985), runt (Kania et al, 1990), cut (Blochinger et al, 1988), and ouo (Mevel-Ninio et al, 1991) in Drosophila. This motif may form an alpha helix structure in transcription repression domains (Han and Manley, 1993a,b).…”

A full-length Cbfa1 gene product perturbs T-cell development and promotes lymphomagenesis in synergy with MYC

“…The CBF a-chains share a common DNA binding domain, runt, de®ned by homology with the Drosophila pair-rule gene Run (Kania et al, 1990). In mammals, the a subunits are encoded by three distinct genes, CBFA1, CBFA2 and CBFA3 (Miyoshi et al, 1991;Ogawa et al, 1993a;Bae et al, 1993Bae et al, , 1995Levanon et al, 1994).…”

Expression of runt in the mouse embryo

“…Some of these were identified through searches for sequences conserved in evolution, in the absence of naturally occurring mutant phenotypes (Gossler and Balling, 1992;Chalepakis et al, 1993;McGinnis, 1994). Others have been recognised due to their involvement in tumour-associated chromosome in the t(8;21) of acute myeloid leukaemia and named AMLl (Miyoshi et al, 19911, is a human homologue of Drosophila runt (Kania et al, 1990;Daga et al, 1992). At the polypeptide level, sequence homology (including conservative changes) exceeds 95% in a region spanning 118 amino acids, which we have called the runt box.…”