Structure and regulation of a complex locus: The cut gene of Drosophila
- Univ. of Connecticut Health Center, Framington, CT (United States)
The cut locus encodes a homeobox protein that is localized in the nuclei of a variety of tissues and is required for proper morphogenesis of those tissues. Cut protein is required in embryonic and adult external sensory organs, where its absence results in conversion of the organs to chordotonal organs. Expression of cut also occurs in the Malpighian tubules, spiracles, central nervous system, and a number of other tissues. Gypsy transposon insertions upstream of the cut promoter block expression in subsets of these tissues. The effect of the gypsy insertions is polar, with those farthest from the promoter affecting the fewest tissues. The hypothesis that gypsy insertions block a series of tissue-specific enhancer elements that are distributed over a region of 80 kb upstream of the promoter predicts the location of the enhancers for cut expression in each of the tissues in which it is active in embryos. DNA fragments from this region drive expression of a reporter gene in each of the embryonic tissue in which endogenous cut gene is expressed. Each tissue has its own enhancer, and none of the enhancers require the activity of the endogenous cut gene to function. 41 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 91169
- Journal Information:
- Genetics, Vol. 139, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Functional dissection of the Hox protein Abdominal-B in Drosophila cell culture
An isoform specific disruption of the murine limb deformity locus distinguishes the renal and limb phenotypes