Homeotic protein bicoid

Homeotic protein bicoid
Identifiers
Organism	Drosophila melanogaster
Symbol	bcd
Orthologs	OMA: entry
UniProt	P09081
Search for Structures Swiss-model Domains InterPro

(Top) Nuclear Bicoid protein gradient in a fixed transgenic Drosophila embryo carrying a Bicoid–GFP fusion gene. Image courtesy of Julien O. Dubuis and Thomas Gregor. (Bottom) Bicoid–GFP protein (green) and FISH-labeled bicoid mRNA (red) in the anterior tip of a fixed transgenic Drosophila embryo. Both embryos are oriented with the anterior pole at left. Image courtesy of Shawn C. Little and Thomas Gregor (see Little et al. for methods).

Homeotic protein bicoid is encoded by the bcd maternal effect gene in Drosophilia. Homeotic protein bicoid concentration gradient patterns the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis during Drosophila embryogenesis. Bicoid was the first protein demonstrated to act as a morphogen. Although bicoid is important for the development of Drosophila and other higher dipterans, it is absent from most other insects, where its role is accomplished by other genes.