Article Abstract:
The ectopic expression of the wingless (wg) and decapentaplegic (dpp) genes in Drosophila causes duplication of legs and may be involved in hyperplasia in other tissues. This was demonstrated in the lethal (2) giant discs [l(2)gd] Drosophila mutant, which exhibits imaginal disc overgrowth that affects the development of the legs. Both genes were initially expressed normally, but expanded into other areas of the disc and became individual centers of gene expression. This resulted in the formation of duplicate legs.
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Article Abstract:
The dishevelled (dsh), shaggy/zeste-white3, and armadillo genes participate in Wnt (wingless; wg) signaling in Drosophila. The involvement of Drosophila dsh function in the Wnt signaling pathway in Xenopus is established, indicating that the intracellular response to the Wnt signal is so much conserved in evolution that its components are interchangeable between species that are quite distantly related.
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Article Abstract:
The amd gene is involved in cuticle formation in Drosophila melanogaster. This gene is located 2 kb from the dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) gene, which also regulates cuticle formation. The amd gene is expressed in epidermal cells that secrete cuticle both inside and outside the larva. Mutations in the amd gene produce larva that lack the cuticle that binds the anal organ to the adjacent hypoderm cells.
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