... of the major body axes. Genetic experiments indicate that at least two proteins, Spire (Spir) and Cappuccino (Capu), are required to build this mesh. The spire and cappuccino genetic loci were first identified as maternal effect genes in Drosophila . Mutation in either locus results in the same phenotypes...

... and cell locomotion. Wasp and Scar/WAVE,the two founding members of the family, are regulated by the GTPases Cdc42 and Rac, respectively. By contrast, linear actin nucleators, such as Spire and formins, are regulated by the GTPase Rho. We recently identified a third WAS family member, called Wash...

...Andrea Wellington; Steve Emmons; Brian James; John Calley; Melissa Grover; Peter Tolias; Lynn Manseau Spire is a maternal effect locus that affects both the dorsal- ventral and anterior-posterior axes of the Drosophila egg and embryo. It is required for localization of determinants within...

... in cappuccino and spire , which permit K10 mRNA transport, but prevent subsequent anterior localization, do not disrupt the synthesis or localization of K10 protein. We also show that modified K10 transgenes that produce transcripts which are uniformly distributed throughout the oocyte, or which...