|
Medea Gene
Medea is a gene from the fruit fly ''Drosophila melanogaster'' that was one of the first two Smad genes discovered. For both genes, the maternal effect lethality was the basis for selection of their names. Medea was named for the mythological Greek Medea, who killed her progeny fathered by Jason. Both Medea and Mothers against dpp were identified in a genetic screen for maternal effect mutations that caused lethality of heterozygous decapentaplegic progeny. Because decapentaplegic is a bone morphogenetic protein in the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, identification of the fly Smad genes provided a much needed clue to understand the signal transduction pathway for this diverse family of extracellular proteins. Humans, mice, and other vertebrates have a gene with the same function as Medea, called SMAD4. An overview of the biology of Medea is found at The Interactive Fly, and the details of ''Medea'' genetics and molecular biology are curated on FlyBase. Another labora ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Melanogaster
''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the "vinegar fly" or "pomace fly". Starting with Charles W. Woodworth's 1901 proposal of the use of this species as a model organism, ''D. melanogaster'' continues to be widely used for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and life history evolution. As of 2017, five Nobel Prizes have been awarded to drosophilists for their work using the insect. ''D. melanogaster'' is typically used in research owing to its rapid life cycle, relatively simple genetics with only four pairs of chromosomes, and large number of offspring per generation. It was originally an African species, with all non-African lineages having a common origin. Its geographic range includes all continents, including islands. ''D. melanogaster'' is a common pest in homes, restaurants, and othe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SMAD (protein)
Smads (or SMADs) comprise a family of structurally similar proteins that are the main signal transducers for receptors of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-B) superfamily, which are critically important for regulating cell development and growth. The abbreviation refers to the homologies to the ''Caenorhabditis elegans'' SMA ("small" worm phenotype) and MAD family ("Mothers Against Decapentaplegic") of genes in Drosophila. There are three distinct sub-types of Smads: receptor-regulated Smads ( R-Smads), common partner Smads (Co-Smads), and inhibitory Smads ( I-Smads). The eight members of the Smad family are divided among these three groups. Trimers of two receptor-regulated SMADs and one co-SMAD act as transcription factors that regulate the expression of certain genes. Sub-types The R-Smads consist of Smad1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad5 and Smad8/9, and are involved in direct signaling from the TGF-B receptor. Smad4 is the only known human Co-Smad, and has the role of partneri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, appearing in Hesiod's ''Theogony'' around 700 BCE, but best known from Euripides's tragedy ''Medea'' and Apollonius of Rhodes's epic ''Argonautica''. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress and is often depicted as a priestess of the goddess Hecate. Medea plays the archetypal role of helper-maiden, aiding Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece by using her magic to save his life out of love. Once he finished his quest, she abandons her native home of Colchis, and flees westwards with Jason, where they eventually settle in Corinth and get married. Euripides's 5th-century BCE tragedy ''Medea'', depicts the ending of her union with Jason, when after ten years of marriage, Jason abandons her to wed King Creon's daugh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was also the great-grandson of the messenger god Hermes, through his mother's side. Jason appeared in various literary works in the classical world of Greece and Rome, including the epic poem ''Argonautica'' and the tragedy ''Medea''. In the modern world, Jason has emerged as a character in various adaptations of his myths, such as the 1963 film '' Jason and the Argonauts'' and the 2000 TV miniseries of the same name. Persecution by Pelias Pelias (Aeson's half-brother) was power-hungry and sought to gain dominion over all of Thessaly. Pelias was the progeny of a union between their shared mother, Tyro ("high born Tyro"), the daughter of Salmoneus, and the sea god Poseidon. In a bitter feud, he overthrew Aeson (the rightful king), kill ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mothers Against Dpp
Mothers against decapentaplegic is a protein from the SMAD family that was discovered in ''Drosophila''. During ''Drosophila'' research, it was found that a mutation in the gene in the mother repressed the gene decapentaplegic in the embryo. The phrase "Mothers against" was added as a humorous take-off on organizations opposing various issues e.g. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD); and based on a tradition of such unusual naming within the gene research community. Several human homologues are known: * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 1 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 5 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 6 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 7 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 9 Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 9 also known as SMAD9, SMAD8, and MADH6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SMAD ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Decapentaplegic
Decapentaplegic (Dpp) is a key morphogen involved in the development of the fruit fly ''Drosophila melanogaster'' and is the first validated secreted morphogen. It is known to be necessary for the correct patterning and development of the early ''Drosophila'' embryo and the fifteen imaginal discs, which are tissues that will become limbs and other organs and structures in the adult fly. It has also been suggested that Dpp plays a role in regulating the growth and size of tissues. Flies with mutations in decapentaplegic fail to form these structures correctly, hence the name (''decapenta''-, fifteen, -''plegic'', paralysis). Dpp is the Drosophila homolog of the vertebrate bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which are members of the TGF-β superfamily, a class of proteins that are often associated with their own specific signaling pathway. Studies of Dpp in Drosophila have led to greater understanding of the function and importance of their homologs in vertebrates like humans. Func ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bone Morphogenetic Protein
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of growth factors also known as cytokines and as metabologens. Originally discovered by their ability to induce the formation of bone and cartilage, BMPs are now considered to constitute a group of pivotal morphogenetic signals, orchestrating tissue architecture throughout the body. The important functioning of BMP signals in physiology is emphasized by the multitude of roles for dysregulated BMP signalling in pathological processes. Cancerous disease often involves misregulation of the BMP signalling system. Absence of BMP signalling is, for instance, an important factor in the progression of colon cancer, and conversely, overactivation of BMP signalling following reflux-induced esophagitis provokes Barrett's esophagus and is thus instrumental in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Recombinant human BMPs (rhBMPs) are used in orthopedic applications such as spinal fusions, nonunions, and oral surgery. rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-7 are F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transforming Growth Factor Beta Superfamily
The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily is a large group of structurally related cell regulatory proteins that was named after its first member, TGF-β1, originally described in 1983. They interact with TGF-beta receptors. Many proteins have since been described as members of the TGF-β superfamily in a variety of species, including invertebrates as well as vertebrates and categorized into 23 distinct gene types that fall into four major subfamilies: * The TGF-β subfamily * The bone morphogenetic proteins and the growth differentiation factors * The activin and inhibin subfamilies * The left-right determination factors * A group encompassing various divergent members Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a multifunctional peptide that controls proliferation, differentiation and other functions in many cell types. TGF-beta-1 is a peptide of 112 amino acid residues derived by proteolytic cleavage from the C-terminal of a precursor protein. These pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Signal Transduction
Signal transduction is the process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events, most commonly protein phosphorylation catalyzed by protein kinases, which ultimately results in a cellular response. Proteins responsible for detecting stimuli are generally termed receptors, although in some cases the term sensor is used. The changes elicited by ligand binding (or signal sensing) in a receptor give rise to a biochemical cascade, which is a chain of biochemical events known as a signaling pathway. When signaling pathways interact with one another they form networks, which allow cellular responses to be coordinated, often by combinatorial signaling events. At the molecular level, such responses include changes in the transcription or translation of genes, and post-translational and conformational changes in proteins, as well as changes in their location. These molecular events are the basic mechanisms controlling cell growth, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SMAD4
SMAD4, also called SMAD family member 4, Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4, or DPC4 (Deleted in Pancreatic Cancer-4) is a highly conserved protein present in all metazoans. It belongs to the SMAD family of transcription factor proteins, which act as mediators of TGF-β signal transduction. The TGFβ family of cytokines regulates critical processes during the lifecycle of metazoans, with important roles during embryo development, tissue homeostasis, regeneration, and immune regulation. SMAD 4 belongs to the co-SMAD group (''common mediator'' SMAD), the second class of the SMAD family. SMAD4 is the only known co-SMAD in most metazoans. It also belongs to the Darwin family of proteins that modulate members of the TGFβ protein superfamily, a family of proteins that all play a role in the regulation of cellular responses. Mammalian SMAD4 is a homolog of the ''Drosophila'' protein "Mothers against decapentaplegic" named Medea. SMAD4 interacts with R-Smads, such as SMAD2, SMA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FlyBase
FlyBase is an online bioinformatics database and the primary repository of genetic and molecular data for the insect family Drosophilidae. For the most extensively studied species and model organism, ''Drosophila melanogaster'', a wide range of data are presented in different formats. Information in FlyBase originates from a variety of sources ranging from large-scale genome projects to the primary research literature. These data types include mutant phenotypes; molecular characterization of mutant alleles; and other deviations, cytological maps, wild-type expression patterns, anatomical images, transgenic constructs and insertions, sequence-level gene models, and molecular classification of gene product functions. Query tools allow navigation of FlyBase through DNA or protein sequence, by gene or mutant name, or through terms from the several ontologies used to capture functional, phenotypic, and anatomical data. The database offers several different query tools in order to prov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maternal Effect Dominant Embryonic Arrest
__NOTOC__ Maternal effect dominant embryonic arrest (Medea) is a Intragenomic conflict, selfish gene composed of a toxin and an antidote. A mother carrying ''Medea'' will Gene expression, express the toxin in her germline, killing her progeny. If the children also carry ''Medea'', they produce copies of the antidote, saving their lives. Therefore, if a mother has one ''Medea'' allele and one non-Medea allele, half of her children will inherit ''Medea'' and survive while the other half will inherit the non-Medea allele and die (unless they receive ''Medea'' from their father). Medea's selfish behavior gives it a selective advantage over normal genes. If introduced into a population at sufficiently high levels, the ''Medea'' gene will spread, replacing entire populations of normal beetles with beetles carrying ''Medea''. Because of this, ''Medea'' has been proposed as a way of Genetic engineering, genetically modifying insect populations. By linking the ''Medea'' construct to a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
