Chang, Z., B. D. Price, S. Bockheim, M. J. Boedigheimer, R. Smith and A. Laughon . 1993. Molecular and genetic characterization of the Drosophila tartan gene. Here we report the discovery and characterization of the Drosophila tartan gene. Its expression is correlated with aspects of segmentation and neurogenesis, including the formation of neuroblasts, sensory mother cells, and peripheral nerves. Mutants homozygous for a recessive lethal tartan loss-function allele exhibit defects in the position and number of cells within peripheral sense organs, the routing of peripheral nerves, and the organization of commissures within the central nervous system.
Mutants are also defective in muscle organization.
These results suggest that tartan is required for cell surface interactions important for normal organization of epidermal and subepidermal structures. The Drosophila neuralized gene encodes a C3HC4 zinc finger. The neurogenic genes of Drosophila are required for cell-cell communication that determines the choice between neuronal and epidermal cell fate. This motif has been previously characterized in a variety of regulatory proteins, including transcription factors, locus-specific Drosophila chromosomal proteins, and oncoproteins. These results suggest a nuclear function for neu in the cell-cell signalling process responsible for inhibiting neuronal determination.