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Maternal and embryonic sources of tyrosine hydroxylase during Drosophila embryogenesis
Author(s) -
Pendleton Robert,
Alday Adrian,
Paluru Prasuna,
Joyner Jeannettee,
Jerome Natalie,
Hillman Ralph
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.20272
Subject(s) - embryogenesis , tyrosine hydroxylase , biology , embryo , embryonic stem cell , mutant , organogenesis , tyrosine , microbiology and biotechnology , enzyme , genetics , gene , biochemistry
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of tyrosine to L‐DOPA and is rate limiting in catecholamine biosynthesis, is biochemically expressed in late stage wild‐type Drosophila oocytes as well as in early embryogenesis. Null mutant alleles of TH ( pale ) are embryonic lethals with death occurring in the late embryonic or early larval periods of development. Staging of embryos demonstrated that inhibition of the enzymatic activity of TH by α‐methyl‐ p ‐tyrosine (αMT) retards the progression of embryos primarily during the organogenesis stages of embryonic development, with lesser effects on earlier and later stages. On the other hand, time of gene action studies with a conditional temperature sensitive pale mutant ( ple ts1 ) at its restrictive temperature (29°C) indicate an onset of tyrosine hydroxylase gene action beginning in the oocyte stage of development. Thus, maternal as well as embryonic effects on the secretion and/or functionality of this enzyme may play roles in the early developmental program of the organism. genesis 45:152‐155, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.