Abstract
The dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is induced by a ventrally restricted ligand for the receptor Toll. The Toll ligand is generated by a proteolytic processing reaction, which occurs at the end of a proteolytic cascade and requires the gastrulation defective (gd), nudel, pipe, and windbeutel genes. Here we demonstrate that the GD protein is a serine protease and that the three other genes act to restrict GD activity to the ventral side of the embryo. Our data support a model in which the GD protease catalyzes the ventral activation of the proteolytic cascade that produces the Toll ligand.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Body Patterning / physiology*
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Catalytic Domain
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Drosophila / embryology*
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Drosophila Proteins*
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Embryonic Development
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Insect Proteins / metabolism*
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Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Serine Endopeptidases / physiology*
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Toll-Like Receptors
Substances
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Drosophila Proteins
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Insect Proteins
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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Receptors, Cell Surface
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Tl protein, Drosophila
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Toll-Like Receptors
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Serine Endopeptidases