First published online February 29, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 890-899 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.014837
A new role for a classical gene: White transports cyclic GMP
Jennifer M. Evans,
Jonathan P. Day,
Pablo Cabrero,
Julian A. T. Dow and
Shireen-Anne Davies*
Division of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences,
University of Glasgow, Glasgow G11 6NU, UK

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Fig. 1. Phenotypes associated with the w gene. (A) The eye colour
phenotype: w null (w1118; bottom left), and
Canton S (top right) adult D. melanogaster. Female w null is
3 mm long. (B) Tubule phenotype: Malpighian tubules from Canton S (top)
and w1118 (bottom) adults. Anterior tubules are on the
left, and posterior tubules on the right of the picture. Scale bar, 110
µm.
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Fig. 2. cGMP is transported by tubules. (A) Effect of depolarisation on the cGMP
transport ratio. Leucokinin (100 µmol l–1) was used to
depolarise the Malpighian tubule 30 min prior to the addition of cGMP (100
µmol l–1; values are means ± s.e.m.;
N 10; ***P<0.0001, Student's
t-test). (B) cGMP-dependent kinase (cGK) activity in tubules is
stimulated by fluid secreted from cGMP-treated Malpighian tubules. Data are
expressed as mean (± s.e.m.) cGK activity, in pmol ATP
min–1 mg–1 protein (N=3). cGK
activity in tubule extracts is significantly stimulated by secreted drops from
cGMP-treated tubules or by 100 µmol l–1 cGMP, but not by
secreted fluid from non-treated tubules (***P<0.0001,
Student's t-test).
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Fig. 4. w does not affect fluid transport but has a direct effect on cGMP
transport. (A) Fluid transport rates by wild-type (Canton S, black circles)
and w1118 (Bloomington stock, red squares and `cantonised'
stock, red triangles). Malpighian tubules were stimulated by cGMP (100 µmol
l–1, added at 30 min, indicated by arrow). Data are expressed
as mean (± s.e.m.) fluid transport rate in nl–1 min
(N=7). (B) Ratio of cGMP and cAMP transport by Canton S and
w1118 Malpighian tubules. Data are mean ratios ±
s.e.m. (N 5). (C) Ratio of cGMP (100 µmol
l–1) transport by Canton S tubules and by tubules from
cantonised w1118 and wH lines. Data
are mean ± s.e.m. (N 5). (D) Ratio of cGMP (100 µmol
l–1) transport in three independently derived parental
transgenic w::eYFP lines (4D, 5E, 8H, unshaded bars) and offspring
from crosses to a GAL4 driver, c42 (c42/w::eYFP; grey bars). Data
expressed as a ratio of cGMP transport ± s.e.m. (N 5).
cGMP transport for the c42 GAL4 driver was: 1.9±0.17 (N=7).
Significance of data between progeny compared to parental controls of each
line is indicated by **P<0.01;
*P<0.05, Student's t-test. (E) Q-PCR of w mRNA
levels in untreated (control) tubules; and in tubules treated with 100 µmol
l–1 cGMP. w expression was normalised against a cDNA
standard (rp49) as previously described. Data are expressed as mean
(± s.e.m.) fold-difference of w expression of cGMP-treated
tubules compared to control tubules (N=4). ***Data
significantly different from control (P<0.001; Student's
t-test).
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Fig. 5. Expression of White in the Drosophila Malpighian tubule. Staining
of White expression in c42/w::eYFP adult tubules by
immunocytochemistry with anti-GFP antibody. Intact tubules from adult progeny
of crosses between c42 and two independently derived UAS-w::eYFP
lines (E5 and H8) were used. (A) Main segment of c42/w::eYFP (UAS
line E5) tubule showing exclusion of staining in stellate cells, yellow
arrows. (B) Main segment of c42/w::eYFP (UAS line H8) showing
exclusion of staining in stellate cells, yellow arrows. (C) Canton S tubules
(high magnification) stained with anti-GFP antibody. Only background
fluorescence is observed. (D) Principal cell in c42/w::eYFP (UAS line
E5) tubule at high magnification showing vesicular staining. Scale bars: A,B
10 µm; C,D 5 µm.
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2008