Expression of a Drosophila GATA transcription factor in multiple tissues in the developing embryos. Identification of homozygous lethal mutants with P-element insertion at the promoter region.
GATA transcription factors are DNA-binding proteins that recognize the core consensus sequence, WGATAR. Previous studies indicated that GATA factors play ann important role in the development of tissue-specific functions in vertebrates. Here we report the identification of a new Drosophila melanogaster GATA factor, dGATAc, which displays a distinct expression pattern in embryos. The local concentration of dGATAc transcripts varies at different stages, being most prominent in the procephalic region at stages 6-10 and in the posterior spiracles, the gut, and the central nervous system at stages 11-13. On the basis of its predicted sequence, DNA-binding assays were performed to confirm that the dGATAc gene encodes a zinc finger protein that can bind the GATA consensus motif with predicted specificity. Two independent mutants carrying a P-element insertion at the dGATAc gene promoter region were identified that are homozygous lethal at the embryonic stage. Using a genetic scheme, it was demonstrated that the lack of dGATAc function can block normal embryonic development. Our results suggest that the dGATAc protein is a tissue-specific transcription factor that is vital to the development of multiple organ systems in D. melanogaster.
Lin
W H
WH
Institute of Genetics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Huang
L H
LH
Yeh
J Y
JY
Hoheisel
J
J
Lehrach
H
H
Sun
Y H
YH
Tsai
S F
SF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C096148:grn protein, Drosophila