title: Formation of an active transcription complex in the Drosophila melanogaster 5S RNA gene is dependent on an upstream region.
abstract: We constructed deletion-substitution and linker-scanning mutations in the 5'-flanking region of the Drosophila melanogaster 5S RNA gene. In vitro transcription of these templates in Drosophila and HeLa cell extracts revealed the presence of an essential control region (-30 region) located between nucleotides -39 and -26 upstream of the transcription initiation site: deletion of sequences upstream of nucleotide position -39 had no detectable effect on the wild-type level of in vitro transcription, whereas mutations extending between positions -39 and 1 resulted in templates with decreased transcriptional levels; specifically, deletion and linker-scanning mutations in the -34 to -26 region (-30 region) resulted in loss of transcription. The -30 region is essential for transcription and therefore forms part of the Drosophila 5S RNA gene transcription promoter. Compared with the activity of the wild-type gene, mutant 5S DNAs exhibited no impairment in the ability to sequester limiting transcription factors in a template exclusion competition assay. While we do not know which transcription factor(s) interacts with the -30 region, the possible involvement of RNA polymerase III at this region is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal