Conservation of brown gene trans-inactivation in Drosophila.
The mechanism underlying trans-inactivation associated with dominant position effect variegation (PEV) of the Drosophila melanogaster brown gene has been addressed by a comparison with its D. virilis homologue. This comparison revealed: 86% identity between conceptual translation products of the brown gene from these two species, functional homology, as the D. virilis gene rescues a D. melanogaster null brown mutation, and conservation of the sequences required for trans-inactivation, as the D. virilis gene in D. melanogaster is subject to dominant PEV. An extended region of sequence similarity upstream of the open reading frame is observed. As the D. virilis homologue is functionally interchangeable with the D. melanogaster gene, these genes must share regulatory sequences as well as protein coding homology. These results support a model in which trans-inactivation is mediated by a heterochromatin-sensitive transcription factor.
Martin-Morris
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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA.
Henikoff
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D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005127:Eye Color / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D007301:Insect Hormones; D014157:Transcription Factors; C059253:bw protein, Drosophila