The Interactive Fly

Evolutionarily conserved developmental pathways

Dorsal-ventral patterning and the immune response - A common pathway activates Dorsal and NF-kappaB

Dorsal, the fly NF-kappaB (cRel) homolog is activated in a signal transduction cascade carried out by Dorsal group proteins. The pathway for Dorsal activation is highly conserved, from the receptor Toll to the I kappa B homolog Cactus. The activation of Dorsal is the major maternal pathway for Dorsal-ventral patterning and takes place immediately after fertilization. The Xenopus homolog of Dorsal (XrelA) is similarly involved in dorsal-ventral patterning in the frog. This conserved pathway is also involved in induction of the immune response in both flies and vertebrates.

Drosophila                   Homologs in other species 
----------                   ----------------------------
Toll                         Mammalian: Interleukin-1 receptor

Pelle                        Mammalian: Interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase

Tube                         Mammalian: ?

Cactus                       Mammalian: I kappa B family

Dorsal                       Xenopus: XrelA
                             Mammalian: NF-kappaB

date revised: 14 Oct 96

Developmental Pathways conserved in Evolution

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