The Drosophila Id gene extramacrochaetae (emc) is required during Drosophila eye development for proper cell fate specification within the R7 equivalence group. Without emc, R7 cells develop like R1/6 cells, and there are delays and deficits in differentiation of non-neuronal cone cells. Although emc encodes an Inhibitor of DNA-binding (Id) protein that is known to antagonize proneural bHLH protein function, no proneural gene is known for R7 or cone cell fates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF