In vivo analysis of scaffold-associated regions in Drosophila: a synthetic high-affinity SAR binding protein suppresses position effect variegation.
Scaffold-associated regions (SARs) were studied in Drosophila melanogaster by expressing a synthetic, high-affinity SAR-binding protein called MATH (multi-AT-hook), which consists of reiterated AT-hook peptide motifs; each motif is known to recognize a wide variety of short AT-rich sequences. MATH proteins were expressed specifically in the larval eye imaginal discs by means of the tetracycline-regulated transactivation system and tested for their effect on position effect variegation (PEV). MATH20, a highly potent SAR ligand consisting of 20 AT-hooks, was found to suppress whitemottled 4 variegation. This suppression required MATH20 expression at an early larval developmental stage. Our data suggest an involvement of the high AT-rich SARs in higher order chromatin structure and gene expression.
Girard
F
F
Department of Cell Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Bello
B
B
Laemmli
U K
UK
Gehring
W J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002457:Cell Extracts; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / Q000235:genetics; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005127:Eye Color / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D009030:Mosaicism / Q000235:genetics; D010063:Ovum; D010641:Phenotype; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics; D014981:Xenopus
D002457:Cell Extracts; D004276:DNA, Satellite; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II