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Gap genes and gradients – The logic behind the gaps
Author(s) -
Hülskamp Martin,
Tautz Diathard
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950130602
Subject(s) - gap gene , gene , biology , maternal to zygotic transition , genetics , transcription factor , krüppel , psychological repression , repressor , microbiology and biotechnology , morphogen , regulation of gene expression , transcription (linguistics) , zygote , function (biology) , gene expression , embryogenesis , linguistics , philosophy
Gap genes stand at the top of the zygotic segmentation hierarchy in Drosophila. Their expression domains are set up by a combination of maternal regulatory signals and interactions among themselves. In addition, these regulatory pathways are partially redundantly specified by the maternal and zygotic genomes, or by multiple zygotic gene products. The gap genes code for transcription factors which exert their function by foming short‐range morphogenetic gradients; differential concentrations of these transcription factors can either act as activators or as repressors for the expression domains of neighbouring genes. It is possible to view the gap genes as a system of genes that subdivides the embryo by forming an activation‐repression cascade proceeding from anterior towards posterior.