Functional redundancy within roX1, a noncoding RNA involved in dosage compensation in Drosophila melanogaster.
Drosophila melanogaster males dosage compensate by twofold upregulation of the expression of genes on their single X chromosome. This process requires at least five proteins and two noncoding RNAs, roX1 and roX2, which paint the male X chromosome. We used a deletion analysis to search for functional RNA domains within roX1, assaying RNA stability, targeting of the MSL proteins to the X, and rescue of male viability in a roX1(-) roX2(-) mutant background. We found that deletion of 10% segments of the RNA did not dramatically reduce function in most cases, suggesting extensive internal redundancy. The 3' 600 nt of roX1 were most sensitive to mutations, affecting proper localization and 3' processing of the RNA. Disruption of an inverted repeat predicted to form a stem-loop structure was found partially responsible for the defects observed.
Stuckenholz
Carsten
C
Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Meller
Victoria H
VH
Kuroda
Mitzi I
MI
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017931:DNA Primers; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C454144:roX1 protein, Drosophila