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SUMMARY:Determinants of embryo polarity in the evolution of flies - Profes
 sor Urs Schmidt-Ott\, University of Chicago
DTSTART:20180917T130000Z
DTEND:20180917T140000Z
UID:TALK110314@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Kate Criswell
DESCRIPTION:The homeodomain protein Bicoid establishes embryo polarity and
  anterior patterning in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster via unique D
 NA binding affinity\, but how it acquired this fundamental role in axis sp
 ecification is unknown. We found that in moth flies\, which lack Bicoid\, 
 a maternal isoform of odd-paired is localized at the anterior pole of eggs
  and specifies head-to-tail polarity while a zygotic isoform retains the a
 ncestral function in segmentation. Other dipterans lack a maternal odd-pai
 red function in axis specification although their odd-paired genes can als
 o drive embryo polarity and head development in the moth fly Clogmia albip
 unctata. These findings indicate that Odd-paired acquired a Bicoid-like fu
 nction via alternative transcription rather than protein evolution. A surv
 ey of maternally localized transcripts in the eggs of other fly species su
 ggests that this function evolved repeatedly via AT. We may thus overestim
 ate the role of protein divergence as primary drivers for new gene functio
 ns.\n
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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