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J. Cell Biol.,
Volume 143, Number 5, November 30, 1998 1259-1270
Department of Molecular Genetics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
In the Drosophila embryo, the correct association of muscles with their specific tendon cells is
achieved through reciprocal interactions between these
two distinct cell types. Tendon cell differentiation is initiated by activation of the EGF-receptor signaling pathway within these cells by Vein, a neuregulin-like factor
secreted by the approaching myotube. Here, we describe the cloning and the molecular and genetic analyses of kakapo, a Drosophila gene, expressed in the tendons, that is essential for muscle-dependent tendon cell
differentiation. Kakapo is a large intracellular protein
and contains structural domains also found in cytoskeletal-related vertebrate proteins (including plakin, dystrophin, and Gas2 family members). kakapo mutant
embryos exhibit abnormal muscle-dependent tendon
cell differentiation. A major defect in the kakapo mutant tendon cells is the failure of Vein to be localized at
the muscle-tendon junctional site; instead, Vein is dispersed and its levels are reduced. This may lead to aberrant differentiation of tendon cells and consequently
to the kakapo mutant deranged somatic muscle phenotype.
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