title: The chromodomain protein, Chromator, interacts with JIL-1 kinase and regulates the structure of Drosophila polytene chromosomes.
abstract: In this study we have generated two new hypomorphic Chro alleles and analyzed the consequences of reduced Chromator protein function on polytene chromosome structure. We show that in Chro(71)/Chro(612) mutants the polytene chromosome arms were coiled and compacted with a disruption and misalignment of band and interband regions and with numerous ectopic contacts connecting non-homologous regions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Chromator co-localizes with the JIL-1 kinase at polytene interband regions and that the two proteins interact within the same protein complex. That both proteins are necessary and may function together is supported by the finding that a concomitant reduction in JIL-1 and Chromator function synergistically reduces viability during development. Overlay assays and deletion construct analysis suggested that the interaction between JIL-1 and Chromator is direct and that it is mediated by sequences in the C-terminal domain of Chromator and by the acidic region within the C-terminal domain of JIL-1. Taken together these findings indicate that Chromator and JIL-1 interact in an interband-specific complex that functions to establish or maintain polytene chromosome structure in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Uttama
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rath
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Huai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Weiguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Girton
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C498868:Chro protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; C507306:JIL-1 protein, Drosophila; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases