Abstract
CELLS in the neurogenic region of Drosophila embryos are initially bipotential; they can become either neuroblasts or epider-moblasts1,2. Cell–cell interaction seems to play an important part in this developmental decision3, which involves the function of a group of genes (the neurogenic genes). Loss-of-function mutations in any of the neurogenic genes result in nervous system hyperplasia and epidermal hypoplasia4,5. Of the six known zygotic neurogenic genes, big brain (bib) is unique in several aspects6–9. Most notably, all the other known neurogenic genes seem to fit into a cascade defined by genetic interactions, whereas bib does not show any detectable interaction with them9. To understand how bib functions, we have now cloned the bib genomic and complementary DNAs. The predicted bib product shows significant sequence similarity to a family of transmembrane proteins10–13, some of which form channels permeable to small molecules14,15. Together with genetic studies, our results indicate that the bib product may mediate intercellular communication in a pathway separate from the one involving the products of the other neurogenic genes.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hartenstein, V. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Roux's Arch dev. Biol. 193, 308–325 (1984).
Campos-Ortega, J. A. & Hartenstein, V. The Embryogenic Development of Drosophila melanogaster (Springer, Berlin, 1985).
Doe, C. Q. & Goodman, C. S. Devl Biol. 111, 206–219 (1985).
Lehmann, R., Dietrich, U., Jimenez, F. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Roux's Arch dev. Biol. 190, 226–229 (1981).
Lehmann, R., Jimenez, F., Dietrich, U. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Roux's Arch dev. Biol. 192, 62–74 (1983).
Jimenez, F. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Roux's Arch dev. Biol. 191, 191–201 (1982).
Dietrich, U. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. J. Neurogenet. 1, 315–332 (1984).
Brand, M. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Roux's Arch. dev. Biol. 197, 457–470 (1988).
de la Concha, A., Dietrich, U. Weigel, D. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Genetics 118, 499–508 (1988).
Gorin, M. A., Yancey, S. B., Cline J., Revel, J-P. & Horwitz, J. Cell 39, 49–59 (1984).
Fortin, M. G., Morrison, N. A. & Verma, D. P. S. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 813–824 (1987).
Sandal, N. & Marcker, K. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 9347 (1988).
Muramatsu, S. & Mizuno, T. Nucleic Acids Res. 17, 4378 (1989).
Ehring, G. R., Zampighi, G. A. & Hall, J. E. in Gap Junctions (eds Hertzberg, E. L. & Johnson, R. G.) 335–346 (Liss, New York, 1988).
Heller, K. B., Lin, E. C. C. & Wilson, T. H. J. Bact. 144, 274–278 (1980).
Cooley, L. K., Kelley, R. & Spradling, A. Science 239, 1121–1128 (1988).
Steller, H. & Pirrotta, V. Molec. cell. Biol. 6, 1640–1649 (1986).
Spradling, A. C. & Rubin, G. M. Science 218, 341–347 (1982).
Rubin, G. M. & Spradling, A. C. Science 218, 348–353 (1982).
Kyte, J. & Doolittle, R. F. Molec. Biol. 157, 105–132 (1982).
Broekhuyse, R. M., Kuhlman, E. D. & Winkens, H. J. Expl Eye Res. 29, 303–313 (1979).
Bok, D., Dockstader, D. & Horwitz, J. J. Cell Biol. 97, 1491–1499 (1983).
Sas, D. F., Sas, J., Johanson, K., Menko, A. S. & Johnson, R. G. J. Cell Biol. 100, 216–250 (1985).
Paul, D. & Goodenough, D. A. J. Cell Biol. 96, 625–632 (1983).
Zampighi, G. A., Hall, J. E., Ehring, G. R. & Simon, S. A. J. Cell Biol. 108, 2255–2275 (1989).
Johnson, R. G. et al. in Gap Junctions, (eds Hertzberg, E. L. & Johnson, R. G.) 81–98 (Alan R. Liss, New York, 1988).
Swenson, K. I., Jordan, J. R., Beyer, E. C. & Paul, D. Cell 57, 145–155 (1989).
Verma, D. P. S. et al. Pl. molec. Biol. 7, 51–61 (1986).
Wharton, K. A., Johansen, K. M., Xu, T. & Artavanis-Tsakonas, S. Cell 43, 567–581 (1985).
Kidd, S., Kelley, M. R. & Young, M. W. Molec. cell Biol. 6, 3094–3108 (1986).
Vaessin, H., Bremer, K., Knust, E. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. EMBO J. 6, 3431–3440 (1987).
Knust, E., Tietz, K. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. EMBO J. 6, 4113–4123 (1987).
Hartley, D. A., Preiss, A. & Artavanis-Tsakonas, S. Cell 55, 785–795 (1988).
Technau, G. M. & Campos-Ortega, J. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 4500–4504 (1987).
Schwartz, T. L., Tempel, B. L., Papazian, D. M., Jan, Y. N. & Jan, L. Y. Nature 331, 137–141 (1988).
Brown, N. H. & Kafatos, F. C. J. molec. Biol. 203, 425–437 (1988).
Tautz, D. & Pfeiffle, C. Chromosoma 98, 81–85 (1989).
Shaw, G. & Kamen, R. Cell 46, 659–667 (1986).
Cavener, D. R. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 1353–1361 (1987).
Lindsley, D. L. & Grell, E. H. Genetic Variations of Drosophila melanogaster (Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rao, Y., Jan, L. & Jan, Y. Similarity of the product of the Drosophila neurogenic gene big brain to transmembrane channel proteins. Nature 345, 163–167 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/345163a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/345163a0
This article is cited by
-
Aquaporin ion conductance properties defined by membrane environment, protein structure, and cell physiology
Biophysical Reviews (2022)
-
Functional characterization of Aquaporin-like genes in the human bed bug Cimex lectularius
Scientific Reports (2017)
-
Phylogenomic and functional analyses of salmon lice aquaporins uncover the molecular diversity of the superfamily in Arthropoda
BMC Genomics (2015)
-
Functional characterization of aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti
Scientific Reports (2015)
-
Insect glycerol transporters evolved by functional co-option and gene replacement
Nature Communications (2015)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
