A Drosophila CREB/ATF transcriptional activator binds to both fat body- and liver-specific regulatory elements.
We have identified a Drosophila transcription factor that binds to fat body-specific enhancers of alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) and yolk protein genes. DNA sequence analysis of cDNA clones encoding this protein, box B-binding factor-2 (BBF-2), indicates that it is a member of the CREB/ATF family of transcriptional regulatory proteins. A number of observations suggest that BBF-2 is involved in fat body-specific expression: Mutations that disrupt BBF-2 binding to two different Adh fat body enhancers in vitro decrease the activity of these enhancers in transgenic flies. BBF-2 mRNA is present in all cell types examined, and the protein is present in cells that express ADH. Finally, BBF-2 is a transcriptional activator in Drosophila tissue culture cells. Remarkably, BBF-2 also binds specifically to regulatory elements required for liver-specific expression of the human Adh and rat tyrosine aminotransferase genes. Thus, BBF-2 and the DNA sequence to which it binds may be important components of a tissue-specific regulatory mechanism conserved between Drosophila and man.
Abel
T
T
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.
Bhatt
R
R
Maniatis
T
T
D051696:Activating Transcription Factors; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D051699:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein A; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005216:Fat Body / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
D051696:Activating Transcription Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; C073555:CrebA protein, Drosophila; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D051699:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein A; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase