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Phosphorylation of Drosophila Jun by the MAP kinase rolled regulates photoreceptor differentiation.
Author(s) -
Peverali F. A.,
Isaksson A.,
Papavassiliou A. G.,
Plastina P.,
Staszewski L. M.,
Mlodzik M.,
Bohmann D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1996.tb00768.x
Subject(s) - biology , imaginal disc , phosphorylation , microbiology and biotechnology , signal transduction , kinase , drosophila melanogaster , photoreceptor cell , mutant , genetics , retina , gene , neuroscience
Drosophila Jun (D‐Jun) is a nuclear component of the receptor tyrosine kinase/Ras signal transduction pathway which triggers photoreceptor differentiation during eye development. Here we show that D‐Jun is a substrate for the ERK‐related Drosophila MAP kinase Rolled, which has previously been shown to be a part of this pathway. A D‐Jun mutant that carries alanines in place of the Rolled phosphorylation sites acts as a dominant suppressor of photoreceptor cell fate if expressed in the eye imaginal disc. In contrast, a mutant in which the phosphorylation sites are replaced by phosphate‐mimetic Asp residues, as well as a VP16‐D‐Jun fusion protein, can promote photoreceptor differentiation. These data implicate Jun phosphorylation in the choice between neuronal and non‐neuronal fate during Drosophila eye development.