FoxK mediates TGF-beta signalling during midgut differentiation in flies.

Inductive signals across germ layers are important for the development of the endoderm in vertebrates and invertebrates (Tam, P.P., M.

EVG, the remnants of a primordial bilaterian's synteny of functionally unrelated genes.

Extant genomes are the result of repeated duplications and subsequent divergence of primordial genes that assembled the genomes of the first living beings. Increased information on genome maps of different species is revealing conserved syntenies among different vertebrate taxa, which allow to trace back the history of current chromosomes. However, inferring neighboring relationships between genes of more primitive genomes has proven to be very difficult.

DmFoxF, a novel Drosophila fork head factor expressed in visceral mesoderm.

DmFoxF is a novel Drosophila fork head domain factor, which is expressed in the visceral mesoderm of the embryo. Our data suggest that DmFoxF is the fly orthologue of the vertebrates FOXF1 and FOXF2 transcription factors. DmFoxF shares homology with FOXF1 and FOXF2 in its fork head domain, and it is able to specifically bind DNA sequences recognized by these vertebrate fork head factors.

Clonal analysis in hybrids between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans.

We have analysed the viability of cellular clones induced by mitotic recombination in Drosophila melanogaster/D. simulans hybrid females during larval growth. These clones contain a portion of either melanogaster or simulans genomes in homozygosity.

Gradual acquisition of the developmental capacity to differentiate adult structures by the genital disc of Drosophila melanogaster.

Diplo-X flies homozygous for the transform-er-2 (tra-2 ) mutation develop into females at 16° C, while they develop into males at 29° C (Belote and Baker 1982). By means of this conditional mutation, we have carried out a detailed analysis of the development of the genital disc. Temperature shifts between 16 and 29° C, in both directions, and temperature pulses at 29° C, have been applied during the larval growth of tra-2 homozygous diplo-X flies, and the external derivatives of the genital disc have been analysed.

The gene fl(2)d is required for various Sxl-controlled processes in Drosophila females.

In Drosophila melanogaster, the gene Sex-lethal (Sxl) controls the processes of sex determination, dosage compensation, oogenesis and sexual behaviour. The control of Sxl is by alternative splicing of its primary RNA. We have identified a gene, female-lethal-2-d (fl(2)d), which is needed for the female-specific splicing of Sxl RNA and which also has a vital function independent of Sxl.