Repression of hybrid dysgenesis in Drosophila melanogaster by heat-shock-inducible sense and antisense P-element constructs.
Sets of sense and antisense P-element constructs controlled by a heat-shock-inducible promoter were tested for their ability to repress manifestations of P-element activity in vivo. As a group, the antisense constructs repressed pupal lethality, a somatic manifestation of P activity, and this repression was significantly enhanced by heat shock. Three of the 11 antisense constructs also repressed gonadal dysgenesis, a manifestation of P activity in the female germ line; however, none had any effect on P-element-mediated mutability in the male germ line. Among the 13 different heat-shock-inducible sense constructs that were tested, those containing the KP and DP elements were strong repressors of pupal lethality, gonadal dysgenesis and P-element-mediated mutability; however, individual lines carrying these constructs varied in their ability to repress each of these traits, presumably because of genomic position effects. With the exception of the sense construct that contained a complete P element, none of the sense or antisense constructs repressed a lacZ reporter gene driven by the P-element promoter. Overall, the experimental results suggest that in nature, P-element activity could be regulated by P-encoded polypeptides and by antisense P RNAs.
Simmons
M J
MJ
Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108-1095, USA. simmo004@maroon.tc.umn.edu
Raymond
J D
JD
Grimes
C D
CD
Belinco
C
C
Haake
B C
BC
Jordan
M
M
Lund
C
C
Ojala
T A
TA
Papermaster
D
D
D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense