A low affinity -regulatory BMP response element restricts target gene activation to subsets of Drosophila neurons.

Retrograde BMP signaling and canonical pMad/Medea-mediated transcription regulate diverse target genes across subsets of efferent neurons, to differentiate neuropeptidergic neurons and promote motor neuron terminal maturation. How a common BMP signal regulates diverse target genes across many neuronal subsets remains largely unresolved, although available evidence implicates subset-specific transcription factor codes rather than differences in BMP signaling. Here we examine the regulatory mechanisms restricting BMP-induced neuropeptide expression to Tv4-neurons.