Int. J. Dev. Biol. 42: 417 - 421 (1998)

Vol 42, Issue 3

Special Issue: Developmental Genetics of Drosophila

From selectors to realizators

Published: 1 April 1998

J Pradel and R A White

Laboratoire de Génétique et de Physiologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, CNRS, France. pradel@ibdm.univ-mrs.fr

Abstract

In 1975 Antonio Garcia-Bellido proposed a framework for understanding the morphogenetic function of homeotic genes in terms of selector genes and realizator genes. Since then, much has been learnt of the molecular nature and expression patterns of the Hox selector genes. Our identification of realizator genes, and our understanding of how specific sets of realizators are activated in different segments, is still far from complete, however. Here we discuss the nature of the Hox target genes identified so far and the basis of the target specificity of Hox gene products.