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A crucial role for the Anaplastic lymphoma kinase receptor tyrosine kinase in gut development in Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
Lorén Christina E,
Englund Camilla,
Grabbe Caroline,
Hallberg Bengt,
Hunter Tony,
Palmer Ruth H
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.embor897
Subject(s) - anaplastic lymphoma kinase , drosophila melanogaster , receptor tyrosine kinase , biology , receptor protein tyrosine kinases , cancer research , tyrosine kinase , mesoderm , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , kinase , gene , signal transduction , pathology , embryonic stem cell , medicine , malignant pleural effusion , lung cancer
The Drosophila melanogaster gene Anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( Alk ) is homologous to mammalian Alk , which encodes a member of the Alk/Ltk family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). In humans, the t(2;5) translocation, which involves the ALK locus, produces an active form of ALK, which is the causative agent in non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. The physiological function of the Alk RTK, however, is unknown. In this paper, we describe loss‐of‐function mutants in the Drosophila Alk gene that cause a complete failure of the development of the gut. We propose that the main function of Drosophila Alk during early embryogenesis is in visceral mesoderm development.