GATA Gene Regulating Fat Body and Hemocyte Development

serpent, a GATA Gene Regulating Fat Body and Hemocyte Development 

The serpent (srp) gene encodes a transcription factor of the GATA family and is required for the formation of two different mesodermal cell types fat body and he-mocytes. 

serpent also has an essential role in early hematocy te development. One of its downstream targets in this pathway may be the gene glial cells missing gem), which is expressed slightly later in the blood cell anlage and is required for normal differentiation of the hemocytes (Bernardoni et al., 1997). 

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