title: Regulation of the Dictyostelium cAMP-induced, prestalk-specific DdrasD gene: identification of cis-acting elements.
abstract: We have shown previously that expression of the Dictyostelium ras gene DdrasD (previously denoted Ddras) is induced during multicellular development and in single-cell shaking culture in response to cAMP (1). Analysis of transformants carrying DdrasD/lacZ reporter constructs showed DdrasD expression to be prestalk-specific (2). The gene is transcribed from three start sites with transcription from the distal site producing an approximately 1.2 kb transcript, which is expressed at low levels in growing cells and is subsequently induced late in aggregation. This promoter is also induced to high levels by cAMP. Transcription from the two more proximal sites is coregulated and is induced during development, resulting in approximately 1.0 kb transcripts. In this study, we examine cis-acting regions required for proper regulation of DdrasD expression using a DdrasD/beta-glucuronidase reporter gene construct. We have identified distinct sequence elements required for developmental and vegetative expression of DdrasD. A domain containing a CA repeat, similar to ones found in other late, cAMP-induced Dictyostelium genes, is required for cAMP-induced and developmental expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Center for Molecular Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0634.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Esch
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Firtel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D018631:ras Proteins
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C489016:ras protein, Dictyostelium; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D018631:ras Proteins