Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Molecular anisotropy of the early Drosophila embryo

Abstract

IT is generally accepted that cellular differentiation depends chiefly on differential gene activity7. The model of differential gene activity implies the existence of different inducers/repressors activating/repressing different genes. Indirect evidence for such molecules in Drosophila comes from experiments of Illmensee and Mahowald2 who showed that the information for primordial germ cell determination is in the cytoplasm of the posterior pole of the egg and that when this cytoplasm is transferred to the anterior pole so is the information. Their experiments suggest that genes are regulated not only in time but also in space, possibly by molecules distributed unequally in the developing system3. We have analysed Drosophila eggs for such molecules.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Davidson, E. H., Gene activity in early development (Academic, New York and London, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Illemensee, K., and Mahowald, A. P., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 71, 1016–1020 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gurdon, J. B., The control of gene expression in animal development (Clarendon Oxford, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Koch, P., and Heinig, S., Roux Arch. Ent. Mech., 161, 241–248 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Nunemann, H., and Moser, J. G., Zool. Anz. Suppl., 33, 113–120 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., and Randall, R. J., J. biol. Chem., 193, 265–275 (1951).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Roberts, D. B., Nature, 233, 394–397 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GRAZIOSI, G., ROBERTS, D. Molecular anisotropy of the early Drosophila embryo. Nature 258, 157–159 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/258157a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/258157a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing