title: The moleskin gene product is essential for Caudal-mediated constitutive antifungal Drosomycin gene expression in Drosophila epithelia.
abstract: The homeobox gene, Caudal, encodes the DNA-binding nuclear transcription factor that plays a crucial role during development and innate immune response. The Drosophila homologue of importin-7 (DIM-7), encoded by moleskin, was identified as a Caudal-interacting molecule during yeast two-hybrid screening. Both mutation of the minimal region of Caudal responsible for moleskin binding and RNA interference (RNAi) of moleskin dramatically inhibited the Caudal nuclear localization. Furthermore, Caudal-mediated constitutive expression of antifungal Drosomycin gene was severely affected in the moleskin-RNAi flies, showing a local Drosomycin expression pattern indistinguishable from that of the Caudal-RNAi flies. These in vivo data suggest that DIM-7 mediates Caudal nuclear localization, which is important for the proper Caudal function necessary for regulating innate immune genes in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Life Science and Center for Cell Signalling Research, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: S-H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: C-T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: K-B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: I-H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Brey
authors.forename: W-J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D028884:Karyopherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D028884:Karyopherins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C084564:cad protein, Drosophila; C091227:DRS protein, Drosophila; D008156:Luciferases; D005982:Glutathione Transferase