Publications by authors named "Ginnene DiStefano"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how the gene lilliputian (lilli) influences the development of the Drosophila retina by regulating the expression of proneural transcription factors Atonal (Ato) and Daughterless (Da).
- It was found that lilli controls Ato expression through multiple enhancer elements and plays a role in Ato's self-regulation by first affecting Da expression.
- The research suggests that the regulatory mechanism involving lilli is conserved from Drosophila to humans, as FMR2, the human equivalent, also regulates homologous proneural genes.
Atonal is a Drosophila proneural protein required for the proper formation of the R8 photoreceptor cell, the founding photoreceptor cell in the developing retina. Proper expression and refinement of the Atonal protein is essential for the proper formation of the Drosophila adult eye. In vertebrates, expression of transcription factors orthologous to Drosophila Atonal (MATH5/Atoh7, XATH5, and ATH5) and their progressive restriction are also involved in specifying the retinal ganglion cell, the founding neural cell type in the mammalian retina.
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