Identification of a transcriptional regulatory region for germline-specific expression of vasa gene in Drosophila melanogaster.
The vasa gene (vas) is essential for germline development in Drosophila melanogaster. Zygotic vas is expressed in pole cells earlier than any other pole cell-expressing genes thus far identified, and VAS protein is continuously present in germline cells throughout development. Here, we report the identification of a regulatory region that directs germline-specific vas expression. A genomic fragment containing the vas locus was linked to enhanced green fluorescent protein (egfp)-vas fusion gene, and the resulting gene was introduced into fly genome. Developmental vas expression was assessed by monitoring the expression of EGFP-VAS in these transformants. The spatio-temporal expression pattern of EGFP-VAS is essentially identical to that of endogenous VAS throughout germline development. By dissecting the vas promoter, we identified a 40-bp regulatory element, which is necessary and sufficient for germline-specific expression during oogenesis. This region interacts specifically with ovarian protein(s). Furthermore, this region is also required for vas expression in pole cells during embryogenesis. These results suggest that a similar mechanism regulates vas expression both in oogenesis and embryogenesis.
Sano
Hiroko
H
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Nakamura
Akira
A
Kobayashi
Satoru
S
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; C088269:vas protein, Drosophila; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D020365:RNA Helicases