Homeodomain-independent activity of the fushi tarazu polypeptide in Drosophila embryos.
The Drosophila segmentation gene fushi tarazu (ftz) encodes a homeodomain-containing protein, ftz, that can act as a DNA-binding activator of transcription. In the developing embryo, ftz is expressed in seven stripes which correspond to the even-numbered parasegments. These parasegments are missing in ftz- embryos. When ftz is expressed throughout blastoderm embryos under the control of a heat-shock promoter, the odd-numbered parasegments are lost. This 'anti-ftz' phenotype has been attributed to autoactivation of the endogenous ftz gene by the ectopically expressed protein. Here we show that the same phenotype is induced by ectopic expression of a ftz polypeptide containing a deletion in the homeodomain. Thus, ftz can alter gene expression without binding directly to DNA.
Fitzpatrick
V D
VD
Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Charles H. Best Institute, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Percival-Smith
A
A
Ingles
C J
CJ
Krause
H M
HM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002678:Chimera; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; C052130:GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497169:ftz protein, Drosophila; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase