Optomotor-blind negatively regulates Drosophila eye development by blocking Jak/STAT signaling

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 17;10(3):e0120236. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120236. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Organ formation requires a delicate balance of positive and negative regulators. In Drosophila eye development, wingless (wg) is expressed at the lateral margins of the eye disc and serves to block retinal development. The T-box gene optomotor-blind (omb) is expressed in a similar pattern and is regulated by Wg. Omb mediates part of Wg activity in blocking eye development. Omb exerts its function primarily by blocking cell proliferation. These effects occur predominantly in the ventral margin. Our results suggest that the primary effect of Omb is the blocking of Jak/STAT signaling by repressing transcription of upd which encodes the Jak receptor ligand Unpaired.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation / physiology*
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster
  • Eye / cytology
  • Eye / embryology*
  • Janus Kinases / genetics
  • Janus Kinases / metabolism*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • STAT Transcription Factors / genetics
  • STAT Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / genetics
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • STAT Transcription Factors
  • T-Box Domain Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • bi protein, Drosophila
  • Janus Kinases
  • hop protein, Drosophila

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants to Y.H.S. (NSC 88-2312-B-001-016, NSC 90-2312-B-001-006, NSC 91-2312-B-001-006) to Y.C.T. (NSC 99-2311-B-029-002-MY3, NSC-102-2633-B-029-002) from the National Science Council (http://www.most.gov.tw/mp.aspx?mp=7) of the Republic of China, to G.O.P. (Pf 163/11-1) from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (http://www.dfg.de/en/index.jsp) and a ROC-Germany exchange program (PPP 87-I-2911-01). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.