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Development 128, 5061-5073 (2001)
© 2001 The Company of Biologists Limited

rolling pebbles (rols) is required in Drosophila muscle precursors for recruitment of myoblasts for fusion

Annette Rau1,*, Detlev Buttgereit1,*, Anne Holz1,*, Richard Fetter2, Stephen K. Doberstein2,{ddagger}, Achim Paululat1, Nicole Staudt1,{dagger}, Jim Skeath4, Alan M. Michelson3 and Renate Renkawitz-Pohl1,§

1 Developmental Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
3 Brigham & Womens Hospital/Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 20 Shattuck Street, Room 1021, Boston, MA 02115, USA
4 Department of Genetics, Box 8232, Washington University School of Medicine, 4566 Scott Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
* These authors contributed equally to this work
{dagger} Present address: MPI für Biophysikalische Chemie, Abt. Molekulare Entwicklungsbiologie, Am Fassberg, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
{ddagger} Present address: Exelixis, 170 Harbor Way, P.O. Box 511, South San Francisco, CA94083-0511, USA

§Author for correspondence (e-mail: renkawit{at}mailer.uni-marburg.de)

Accepted September 27, 2001

Mutations in the rolling pebbles (rols) gene result in severe defects in myoblast fusion. Muscle precursor cells are correctly determined, but myogenesis does not progress significantly beyond this point because recognition and/or cell adhesion between muscle precursor cells and fusion-competent myoblasts is disturbed. Molecular analysis of the rols genomic region reveals two variant transcripts of rols due to different transcription initiation sites, rols6 and rols7. rols6 mRNA is detectable mainly in the endoderm during differentiation as well as in malpighian tubules and in the epidermis. By contrast, rols7 expression is restricted to the mesoderm and later to progenitor descendants during somatic and pharyngeal muscle development. Transcription starts at the extended germ band stage when progenitor/founder cells are determined and persists until stage 13. The proteins encoded by the rols gene are 1670 (Rols6) and 1900 (Rols7) amino acids in length. Both forms contain an N-terminal RING-finger motif, nine ankyrin repeats and a TPR repeat eventually overlaid by a coiled-coil domain. The longer protein, Rols7, is characterized by 309 unique N-terminal amino acids, while Rols6 is distinguishable by 79 N-terminal amino acids. Expression of rols7 in muscle founder cells indicates a function of Rols7 in these cells. Transplantation assays of rols mutant mesodermal cells into wild-type embryos show that Rols is required in muscle precursor cells and is essential to recruit fusion-competent myoblasts for myotube formation.

Key words: Myoblast fusion, Ankyrin repeats, TPR repeats, RING finger, Myogenesis, Drosophila






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2001