A major bristle QTL from a selected population of Drosophila uncovers the zinc-finger transcription factor poils-au-dos, a repressor of achaete-scute.
Traditional screens aiming at identifying genes regulating development have relied on mutagenesis. Here, we describe a new gene involved in bristle development, identified through the use of natural variation and selection. Drosophila melanogaster bears a pattern of 11 macrochaetes per heminotum. From a population initially sampled in Marrakech, a strain was selected for an increased number of thoracic macrochaetes. Using recombination and single nucleotide polymorphisms, the factor responsible was mapped to a single locus on the third chromosome, poils au dos, that encodes a zinc-finger-ZAD protein. The original, as well as new, presumed null, alleles of poils au dos, is associated with ectopic achaete-scute expression that results in the additional bristles. This suggests a possible role for Poils au dos as a repressor of achaete and scute. Ectopic expression appears to be independent of the activity of known cis-regulatory enhancer sequences at the achaete-scute complex that mediate activation at specific sites on the notum. The target sequences for Poils au dos activity were mapped to a 14 kb region around scute. In addition, we show that pad interacts synergistically with the repressor hairy and with Dpp signaling in posterior and anterior regions of the notum, respectively.
Gibert
Jean-Michel
JM
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. jmg@i122server.vu-wien.ac.at
Marcellini
Sylvain
S
David
Jean R
JR
Schlötterer
Christian
C
Simpson
Pat
P
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C089199:ac protein, Drosophila; C507701:pad protein, Drosophila; C089197:sc protein, Drosophila