TAP, A DROSOPHILA BHLH GENE EXPRESSED IN CHEMOSENSORY ORGANS

We have isolated a Drosophila bHLH gene, tap, that is expressed in a s mall subset of neurons when they undergo differentiation. In the perip heral nervous system, tap is expressed exclusively in one of the neuro ns that innervate each larval chemosensory organ, possibly controlling the specific properties of that neuron. Sequence comparisons suggest that tap is most closely related to two bHLH genes identified in sever al vertebrate species, neurogenin and neuroD, which are involved respe ctively in neural determination and in neuronal differentiation. (C) 1 997 Elsevier Science B.V.