title: Enhancer point mutation results in a homeotic transformation in Drosophila.
abstract: In Drosophila, the misexpression or altered activity of genes from the bithorax complex results in homeotic transformations. One of these genes, abd-A, normally specifies the identity of the second through fourth abdominal segments (A2 to A4). In the dominant Hyperabdominal mutations (Hab), portions of the third thoracic segment (T3) are transformed toward A2 as the result of ectopic abd-A expression. Sequence analysis and deoxyribonuclease I footprinting demonstrate that the misexpression of abd-A in two independent Hab mutations results from the same single base change in a binding site for the gap gene Krüppel protein. These results establish that the spatial limits of the homeotic genes are directly regulated by gap gene products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine 92717.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shimell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017344:Genes, Insect; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D017354:Point Mutation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C497244:Kr protein, Drosophila; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066591:abd-A protein, Drosophila