The homeodomain of Eyeless regulates cell growth and antagonizes the paired domain-dependent retinal differentiation function.

ABSTRACT: Pax6 and its Drosophila homolog Eyeless (Ey) play essential roles during eye development. Ey/Pax6 contains two distinct DNA binding domains, a Paired domain (PD) and a Homeodomain (HD). While Ey/Pax6 PD is required for the expression of key regulators of retinal development, relatively little is known about the HD-dependent Ey function. In this study, we used the UAS/GAL4 system to determine the functions of different Ey domains on cell growth and on retinal development. We showed that Ey can promote cell growth, which requires the HD but not the PD. In contrast, the ability of Ey to activate Ato expression and induce ectopic eye formation requires the PD but not the HD. Interestingly, deletion of the HD enhanced Ey-dependent ectopic eye induction while overexpression of the HD only Ey for

SUBMITTER: Tanaka-Matakatsu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4286722 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature