A novel boundary element may facilitate independent gene regulation in the Antennapedia complex of Drosophila.
The intrinsic enhancer-promoter specificity and chromatin boundary/insulator function are two general mechanisms that govern enhancer trafficking in complex genetic loci. They have been shown to contribute to gene regulation in the homeotic gene complexes from fly to mouse. The regulatory region of the Scr gene in the Drosophila Antennapedia complex is interrupted by the neighboring ftz transcription unit, yet both genes are specifically activated by their respective enhancers from such juxtaposed positions. We identified a novel insulator, SF1, in the Scr-ftz intergenic region that restricts promoter selection by the ftz-distal enhancer in transgenic embryos. The enhancer-blocking activity of the full-length SF1, observed in both embryo and adult, is orientation- and enhancer-independent. The core region of the insulator, which contains a cluster of GAGA sites essential for its activity, is highly conserved among other Drosophila species. SF1 may be a member of a conserved family of chromatin boundaries/insulators in the HOM/Hox complexes and may facilitate the independent regulation of the neighboring Scr and ftz genes, by insulating the evolutionarily mobile ftz transcription unit.
Belozerov
Vladimir E
VE
Department of Cellular Biology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Majumder
Parimal
P
Shen
Ping
P
Cai
Haini N
HN
D000818:Animals; D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005260:Female; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D038101:Insulator Elements; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; C497974:Antp protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C059627:Scr protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497169:ftz protein, Drosophila