Comparative studies of Drosophila Antennapedia genes.
The Antennapedia (Antp) homeotic gene of Drosophila melanogaster controls cell fates and pattern formation in the epidermis, nervous system and mesoderm of thoracic segments. Its expression is controlled at the levels of transcription, alternative RNA splicing, polyadenylation and translation. Two nested Antp transcription units extend over 103 kb and produce sixteen different transcripts. We have compared the Antp genes of Drosophila virilis, Drosophila subobscura and D. melanogaster to determine which structural features are conserved and therefore may be important to the gene's function. The overall gene structures are similar. There are many conserved sequence blocks throughout the large introns, at least 15 kb upstream of the first promoter, and at least 3 kb downstream of the last polyadenylation site. Intron and exon sequence conservation around alternative splice sites indicates that alternative protein coding forms may also be conserved. Protein coding potential is perfectly conserved around the C-terminal homeodomain, well conserved in the N-terminal region, and more variable in the middle. The large size of the Antp gene may reflect a large number of control elements necessary for appropriate Antp protein expression. The conservation of transcript complexity suggests functional requirements for the different protein forms.
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309.
J E
JE
Hooper
M
M
Pérez-Alonso
J R
JR
Bermingham
M
M
Prout
B A
BA
Rocklein
M
M
Wagenbach
J E
JE
Edstrom
R
R
de Frutos
M P
MP
Scott
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005091:Exons; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; C497974:Antp protein, Drosophila; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA