Abstract
In vertebrates, pattern formation in the eye, central nervous system, somites, and limb depends on hedgehog activity, but a general target gene controlled by hedgehog in all these signaling centers has remained largely elusive. The medaka fish gene spalt encodes a zinc-finger transcription factor, which is expressed in all known hedgehog signaling centers of the embryo and in the organizer region at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary. We show that the spalt expression domains expand in response to ectopic hedgehog activity and narrow in the presence of protein kinase A activity, an antagonist of hedgehog signaling, indicating that spalt is a hedgehog target gene. Our results also suggest a signaling mechanism for anterior-posterior patterning of the vertebrate brain that controls spalt expression at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary in a protein kinase A dependent manner likely to involve an unknown member of the hedgehog family.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Body Patterning / genetics*
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Central Nervous System / embryology
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Cloning, Molecular
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Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / physiology
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / physiology*
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Genes / genetics
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Hedgehog Proteins
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Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
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Mesencephalon / embryology
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neurons / chemistry
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Oryzias
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PAX2 Transcription Factor
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Proteins / genetics
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Proteins / physiology*
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RNA, Messenger / analysis
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Rhombencephalon / embryology
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Sequence Analysis, DNA
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Trans-Activators*
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Transcription Factors / genetics*
Substances
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Drosophila Proteins
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Hedgehog Proteins
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Homeodomain Proteins
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PAX2 Transcription Factor
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Proteins
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RNA, Messenger
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Trans-Activators
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Transcription Factors
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salm protein, Drosophila
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Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases
Associated data
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GENBANK/U77376
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GENBANK/Z97019
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GENBANK/Z97020