Retrograde BMP signaling activates neuronal gene expression through widespread deployment of a conserved BMP-responsive cis-regulatory activation element
Vuilleumier R, Lian T, Flibotte S, Khan ZN, Fuchs A, Pyrowolakis G, Allan DW.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2019;47(2):679-699
Nucleic Acids Res. online article
We have previously identified a DNA motif, the AE, that mediates direct transcriptional activation to BMP signalling in Drosophila and vertebrates. We now show that the AE can be utilized for high-confidence, computational identification of BMP dependent enhancers during Drosophila neurogenesis. The battery of de-novo identified and verified BMP target genes and the finding that AE-dependent gene activation is evolutionarily conserved, will help addressing BMP-dependent networks of neuronal subtype specification and synaptic function.
