Synthetic oligonucleotides recreate Drosophila fushi tarazu zebra-stripe expression.
A complex array of activator and repressor elements located within 669 bp proximal to the fushi tarazu (ftz) transcriptional start site is sufficient to generate the "zebra-stripe" expression pattern characteristic of the ftz gene. P-element-mediated transformation and ftz promoter/lacZ fusion genes were used to characterize, in detail, several of these transcriptional control elements. By reconstructing promoters with synthetic oligonucleotides containing cis-regulators of stripe expression, we show that these regulatory sites can function as independent units to direct position-specific transcription in the Drosophila embryo. In particular, we demonstrate that multiple copies of a positive regulatory site can mediate expression in both the odd- and even-numbered parasegments throughout most of the germ band and that negative regulatory sites can transform a continuous pattern of gene expression into discrete stripes. The reconstructed promoter system presented provides an effective means of studying molecular mechanisms governing spatially restricted transcription in the early embryo.
Topol
J
J
Division of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125.
Dearolf
C R
CR
Prakash
K
K
Parker
C S
CS
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D001665:Binding Sites; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D015870:Gene Expression; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004247:DNA; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497169:ftz protein, Drosophila; C489235:hairy protein, Drosophila; C061841:hairy protein, insect