Spotted-dick, a zinc-finger protein of Drosophila required for expression of Orc4 and S phase.
The highly condensed chromosomes and chromosome breaks in mitotic cells of a Drosophila mutant, spotted-dick/pita, are the consequence of defects in DNA replication. Reduction of levels of Spotted-dick protein, by either RNAi or mutation, leads to the accumulation of cells that have DNA content intermediate to 2N and 4N in proliferating tissues and also compromises endoreduplication in larval salivary glands. The Spotted-dick Zinc-finger protein is present in the nuclei of cells committed to proliferation but necessary in cells undertaking S phase. We show that Spotted-dick/Pita functions as a transcription factor and that, in cultured S2 cells, it is an activator of expression of some 30 genes that include the Orc4 gene, required for initiation of DNA replication. Chromatin immunoprecipitation indicates that it associates with the genes that it activates in S2 cells together with other sites that could represent genes activated in other tissues. We discuss the role of Spotted-dick in the coordination of cellular growth and DNA replication.
Page
Andrew R
AR
Cancer Research UK Cell Cycle Genetics Research Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. a.page@gen.cam.ac.uk
Kovacs
Andras
A
Deak
Peter
P
Torok
Tibor
T
Kiss
Istvan
I
Dario
Paulo
P
Bastos
Cristina
C
Batista
Pedro
P
Gomes
Rui
R
Ohkura
Hiro
H
Russell
Steven
S
Glover
David M
DM
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004171:Diploidy; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016193:G1 Phase; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006720:Homozygote; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008938:Mitosis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D051738:Origin Recognition Complex / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry; D016196:S Phase; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C497218:Orc4 protein, Drosophila; D051738:Origin Recognition Complex; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D014157:Transcription Factors; C507658:pita protein, Drosophila; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA