title: Brinker is a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor in the Drosophila embryo.
abstract: A Dpp activity gradient specifies multiple thresholds of gene expression in the dorsal ectoderm of the early embryo. Some of these thresholds depend on a putative repressor, Brinker, which is expressed in the neurogenic ectoderm in response to the maternal Dorsal gradient and Dpp signaling. Here we show that Brinker is a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor. It binds the consensus sequence, TGGCGc/tc/t, and interacts with the Groucho corepressor through a conserved sequence motif, FKPY. An optimal Brinker binding site is contained within an 800-bp enhancer from the tolloid gene, which has been identified as a genetic target of the Brinker repressor. A tolloid-lacZ transgene containing point mutations in this site exhibits an expanded pattern of expression, suggesting that Brinker directly represses tolloid transcription. We discuss other examples of transcriptional repressors constraining the activities of signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department Molecular Cell Biology, Division of Genetics and Development, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ashe
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D001665:Binding Sites; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055394:Tolloid-Like Metalloproteinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D055394:Tolloid-Like Metalloproteinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; C118082:brk protein, Drosophila; C064196:dpp protein, Drosophila; C091023:gro protein, Drosophila; C071471:tld protein, Drosophila