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The vrille gene of Drosophila is a maternal enhancer of decapentaplegic and encodes a new member of the bZIP family of transcription factors.

ABSTRACT: We report here the genetical and molecular characterization of a new Drosophila zygotic lethal locus, vrille (vri). Vri alleles act not only as dominant maternal enhancers of embryonic dorsoventral patterning defects caused by easter and decapentaplegic (dpp) mutations, but also as dominant zygotic enhancers of dpp alleles for phenotypes in wing. The vri gene encodes a new member of the bZIP family of transcription factors closely related to gene 9 of Xenopus laevis, induced by thyroid hormone during the tadpole tail resorption program, and NF-IL3A, a human T cell transcription factor that transactivates the interleukin-3 promoter. NF-IL3A shares 93% similarity and 60% identity with Vri for a stretch of 68 amino acids that includes the bZIP domain. Although all the alleles tested behave like antimorphs, the dominant enhancement is also seen with a nonsense mutation allele that prevents translation of the bZIP domain. Because of the strong domainant enhancement of dpp phenotypes by vri alleles in both embryo and wing, and also the similarity between the wing vein phenotypes caused by the vri and shortvein dpp alleles, we postulate that vri interacts either directly or indirectly with certain components of the dpp (a TGF beta homologue) signal transduction pathway.

SUBMITTER: George H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1208080 | biostudies-other | 1997 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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The vrille gene of Drosophila is a maternal enhancer of decapentaplegic and encodes a new member of the bZIP family of transcription factors.

George H H Terracol R R

Genetics 19970801 4

We report here the genetical and molecular characterization of a new Drosophila zygotic lethal locus, vrille (vri). Vri alleles act not only as dominant maternal enhancers of embryonic dorsoventral patterning defects caused by easter and decapentaplegic (dpp) mutations, but also as dominant zygotic enhancers of dpp alleles for phenotypes in wing. The vri gene encodes a new member of the bZIP family of transcription factors closely related to gene 9 of Xenopus laevis, induced by thyroid hormone d ...[more]

PMID: 9258679

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Project description:Background and aimsDuring liver injury, quiescent hepatic stellate cells (qHSCs) transdifferentiate into proliferative and fibrogenic activated myofibroblastic phenotype (activated hepatic stellate cell; aHSCs) expressing smooth muscle α-actin (αSMA) and platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor (PDGFβR). Their interactions with gut-derived bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are implicated in hepatic fibrogenesis. However, LPS can also attenuate fibrogenic characteristics of aHSCs.Approach and resultsWe examined molecular mechanisms of antifibrogenic effects of LPS on aHSCs in vitro and in vivo. Culture-activated rat HSCs were exposed to 0-100 ng/mL of LPS or its active component, diphosphoryl-lipid A (DPLA), and parameters of fibrosis and inflammatory cytokines/chemokines were determined by qRT-PCR, western, and immunohistochemical analyses. In vivo, HSCs were activated by repeated CCl4 administration to rats every 3 days for 3 or 8 weeks, then challenged with LPS (5 mg/kg; IP). HSCs were isolated 24 hours later, and fibrogenic/inflammatory parameters were analyzed. LPS induced phenotypic changes in aHSCs (rounding, size reduction) and loss of proliferation. LPS down-regulated expression of αSMA, PDGFβR, transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFβR1), collagen 1α1 (Col1α1), and fibronectin while up-regulating tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 expression. LPS did not increase peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor gamma expression or lipid accumulation typical of qHSCs. DPLA elicited the same effects as LPS on aHSCs, indicating specificity, and monophosphoryl lipid A down-regulated fibrogenic markers, but elicited very weak inflammatory response. LPS down-regulated the expression of cMyb, a transcription factor for αSMA, and up-regulated small mother against decapentaplegic (SMAD)7 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)δ, the transcriptional inhibitors of Col1α1 expression. In vivo LPS treatment of aHSCs inhibited their proliferation, down-regulated PDGFβR, αSMA, TGFβR1, Col1α1, and cMyb expression, and increased expression of SMAD7, C/EBPα, and C/EBPδ.ConclusionsIn conclusion, LPS induces a unique phenotype in aHSCs associated with down-regulation of key fibrogenic mechanisms and thus may have an important role in limiting fibrosis.

Dataset Information

The vrille gene of Drosophila is a maternal enhancer of decapentaplegic and encodes a new member of the bZIP family of transcription factors.

Publications

The vrille gene of Drosophila is a maternal enhancer of decapentaplegic and encodes a new member of the bZIP family of transcription factors.

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