Dominant modifiers of the polyhomeotic extra-sex-combs phenotype induced by marked P element insertional mutagenesis in Drosophila.
Members of the Polycomb group (Pc-G) and trithorax group (trx-G) of genes, as well as the enhancers of trx-G and Pc-G (ETP), function together to maintain segment identity during Drosophila development. In order to obtain new marked P mutations in these genes, we screened for dominant modifiers of the extra-sex-combs phenotype displayed by males mutant for the polyhomeotic (ph) gene, a member of the Pc-G group. Five P(lacW) insertions in four different genes were found to stably suppress ph: two are allelic to trithorax, one is the first allele specific to the Minute(2)21C gene, and the remaining two define new trx-G genes, toutatis (tou) in 48A and taranis (tara) in 89B10-13. tou is predicted to encode a 3109 amino acid sequence protein (TOU), which contains a TAM DNA-binding domain, a WAKZ motif, two PHD zinc fingers and a C-terminal bromodomain, and as such is likely to be involved in regulation of chromatin structure as a subunit of a novel chromatin remodelling complex. In a previous study, we found that insertion of a P(ph) transposable element containing ph regulatory sequences creates a high frequency of mutations modifying ph homeotic phenotypes. One such insertion enhanced the ph phenotype and we show that it is a new allele of UbcD1/eff, a gene encoding a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that is involved in telomere association and potentially in chromatin remodelling.
Fauvarque
M O
MO
Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS/UPR 1142, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34396 Montpellier, France.
Laurenti
P
P
Boivin
A
A
Bloyer
S
S
Griffin-Shea
R
R
Bourbon
H M
HM
Dura
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010641:Phenotype; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors
D017931:DNA Primers; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; C066770:Pc protein, Drosophila; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C059627:Scr protein, Drosophila; C572066:Tou protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C063460:Trl protein, Drosophila; C072820:ph-d protein, Drosophila; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; C543389:esc protein, Drosophila; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1