The Drosophila posterior-group gene nanos functions by repressing hunchback activity

The development of the body plan in the Drosophila embryo depends on the activity of maternal determinants localized at the anterior and posterior of the egg. These activities define both the polarity of the anterior-posterior (AP) axis and the spatial domains of expression of the zygotic gap genes, which in turn control the subsequent steps in segmentation. The nature and mode of action of one anterior determinant, the bicoid(bcd) gene product, has recently been defined, but the posterior determinants are less well characterized. At least seven maternally acting genes are required for posterior development. Mutations in these maternal posterior-group genes result in embryos lacking all abdominal segments. Cytoplasmic transplantation studies indicate that the maternally encoded product of the nanos(nos) gene may act as an abdominal determinant, whereas the other maternal posterior-group genes appear to be required for the appropriate localization and stabilization of this signal. Here we show that the lack of the nos gene product can be compensated for by eliminating the maternal activity of the gap gene hunchback (hb). Embryos lacking both of these maternally derived gene products are viable and can survive as fertile adults. These results suggest that the nos gene product functions by repressing the activity of the maternal hb products in the posterior of the egg.     

Signal transduction through the CD4 receptor involves the activation of the internal membrane tyrosine-protein kinase p56lck

The CD4 T-cell surface antigen is an integral membrane glycoprotein of relative molecular mass 55,000 which binds class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules expressed on antigen presenting cells (APCs). It is thought to stabilize physical interactions between T cells and APCs (for a review, see ref. 1). Evidence is accumulating that suggests that CD4 can transduce an independent signal during T-cell activation. It has recently been shown that CD4 expressed on human and murine T cells is physically associated with the Src-related tyrosine protein kinase p56lck (refs 7, 8). These results indicate that CD4 can function as a signal transducer and suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation events may be important in CD4-mediated signalling. Here, we present evidence that cross-linking of the CD4 receptor induces a rapid increase in the tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity of p56lck and is associated with the rapid phosphorylation of one of the subunits (zeta) of the T-cell receptor complex on tyrosine residues. These data provide direct evidence for a specific CD4 signal transduction pathway that is mediated through p56lck and suggest that some of the tyrosine phosphorylation events detected during antigen-mediated T-cell activation may result from signalling through this surface molecule.     

Vesicular removal by oligodendrocytes of membrane attack complexes formed by activated complement

Oligodendrocytes synthesize myelin in the central nervous system and maintain it in lamellar sheaths around axons. Techniques for studying oligodendrocyte development in vitro can be used, indirectly, to investigate the myelin injury that occurs in human and experimental demyelinating disease. Cell-mediated immune mechanisms are necessary but not sufficient to induce myelin damage in vivo; more recently complement has also been implicated in the pathogenesis both of multiple sclerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Previously we have demonstrated that antibody-independent complement activation occurs in vitro at the oligodendrocyte surface. Here we show that the ensuing oligodendrocyte injury is reversible, and that recovery involves the release of membrane-attack complex-enriched vesicles from the surface of viable cells. The demonstration of morphologically and immunochemically identical vesicles in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis suggests that reversible complement-mediated injury contributes to myelin damage in vivo.     

Mutant Drosophila embryos in which all cells adopt a neural fate

In the Drosophila embryo, early developmental decisions lead to all cells adopting one of several initial fates, such as those characteristic of the germ layers. The central nervous system is formed subsequently from the neurogenic region of the ectoderm, in which progenitor cells of the neuroblasts and ventral epidermis are intermingled. Two classes of genes govern the segregation of neuroblasts and peripheral sensory organs. The pro-neural class of genes, for example, the achaete-scute complex, participates in the initial decision to make each uniquely positioned neuroblast or sensory organ, but are initially expressed in groups of cells. The segregation of a neuroblast or sensory organ from an equivalent group of equipotential cells involves a mechanism of lateral inhibition whereby the future epidermal cells are prevented from engaging in the primary dominant neural fate. In the absence of this inhibitory signal, all cells of the group will become neural by default. The neurogenic class of genes is thought to mediate these cell interactions. Here we report that cells in embryos mutant for shaggy which are unable to adopt any of the early initial fates, instead develop neural characteristics.     

Neotropical Africanized honey bees have African mitochondrial DNA

Non-indigenous African honey bees have invaded most of South and Central America in just over 30 years. The genetic composition of this population and the means by which it rapidly colonizes new territory remain controversial. In particular, it has been unclear whether this 'Africanized' population has resulted from interbreeding between African and domestic European bees, or is an essentially pure African population. Also, it has not been known whether this population expanded primarily by female or by male migration. Restriction site mapping of 62 mitochondrial DNAs of African bees from Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico reveals that 97% were of African (Apis mellifera scutellata) type. Although neotropical European apiary populations are rapidly Africanized by mating with neotropical African males, there is little reciprocal gene flow to the neotropical African population through European females. These are the first genetic data to indicate that the neotropical African population could be expanding its range by female migration.     

Sequence of an unusually large protein implicated in regulation of myosin activity in C. elegans

The Caenorhabditis elegans gene unc-22 encodes a very large muscle protein, called twitchin, which consists of a protein kinase domain and several copies of two short motifs. The sequence of twitchin has unexpected similarities to the sequences of proteins of the immunoglobulin superfamily, cell adhesion molecules and vertebrate muscle proteins, including myosin light-chain kinase. These homologies, together with results from earlier genetic and molecular analyses, indicate that twitchin is involved in a novel mechanism of myosin regulation.     

Mitochondrial heat-shock protein hsp60 is essential for assembly of proteins imported into yeast mitochondria

A nuclear encoded mitochondrial heat-shock protein hsp60 is required for the assembly into oligomeric complexes of proteins imported into the mitochondrial matrix. hsp60 is a member of the 'chaperonin' class of protein factors, which include the Escherichia coli groEL protein and the Rubisco subunit-binding protein of chloroplasts.     

Mycoplasma infection of cultured cells

Mycoplasma contamination is tough to detect and even more difficult to eradicate. It is best to start over fresh from clean cell stocks, but several elimination options are available.     

Genetic imprinting suggested by maternal heterodisomy in nondeletion Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is the most common form of dysmorphic genetic obesity associated with mental retardation. About 60% of cases have a cytological deletion of chromosome 15q11q13 (refs 2, 3). These deletions occur de novo exclusively on the paternal chromosome. By contrast, Angelman syndrome (AS) is a very different clinical disorder and is also associated with deletions of region 15q11q13 (refs 6-8), indistinguishable from those in PWS except that they occur de novo on the maternal chromosome. The parental origin of the affected chromosomes 15 in these disorders could, therefore, be a contributory factor in determining their clinical phenotypes. We have now used cloned DNA markers specific for the 15q11q13 subregion to determine the parental origin of chromosome 15 in PWS individuals not having cytogenetic deletions; these individuals account for almost all of the remaining 40% of PWS cases. Probands in two families displayed maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 15q11q13. This is the first demonstration that maternal heterodisomy--the presence of two different chromosome 15s derived from the mother--can be associated with a human genetic disease. The absence of a paternal contribution of genes in region 15q11q13, as found in PWS deletion cases, rather than a mutation in a specific gene(s) in this region may result in expression of the clinical phenotype. Thus, we conclude that a gene or genes in region 15q11q13 must be inherited from each parent for normal human development.