title: Germline transformation used to define key features of heat-shock response elements.
abstract: The heat-shock consensus element (HSE), CTNGAANNTTCNAG, is found in multiple copies upstream of all heat-shock genes. Here, the sequence requirements for heat-shock induction are tested by Drosophila germline transformation with an hsp70-lacZ gene fused to a pair of synthetic HSEs. Certain single-base substitutions in either HSE cause a dramatic reduction (forty-fold) in expression. Surprisingly, variations in sequences immediately flanking the HSEs also reduced levels of induction. One such variant that contains two perfect 14-base pair HSEs, which are correctly spaced relative to each other and the TATA box, retained only 7% of wild type-induced expression. These and additional analyses indicate that the heat-shock regulatory element includes sequences beyond the 14-base pair HSE and may be better described as a dimer of a 10-base pair sequence, NTTCNNGAAN.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors