title: Ecdysone induces transcription and amplification in Sciara coprophila DNA puff II/9A.
abstract: DNA replication is normally tightly regulated to ensure the production of only one copy of the genome per cell cycle. However, DNA puffs of the salivary gland giant polytene chromosomes of Sciara coprophila undergo DNA amplification during the normal course of development, overriding this control. This developmental strategy provides more template for the production of large amounts of protein needed for pupation. We have focused on DNA puff II/9A, which amplifies approximately 17-fold over the rest of the genome. Evidence presented here suggests that DNA amplification at this locus is controlled by the steroid hormone ecdysone, the master regulator of insect development. Explanted, pre-amplification stage salivary glands undergo premature amplification when incubated with ecdysone. Injection of ecdysone into pre-amplification stage larvae induces amplification. Ecdysone also induces transcription of the II/9A genes. We report the presence of a putative ecdysone response element directly adjacent to the origin recognition complex (ORC)-binding site in the II/9A origin and demonstrate that it is efficiently bound by the Sciara ecdysone receptor. These results implicate ecdysone in the regulation of DNA amplification in Sciara and suggest the ecdysone receptor may be the elusive amplification factor. This would be a new role for this transcription factor.
authors.affiliation: Brown University, 69 Brown St.-J.W. Wilson Laboratory, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Foulk
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hannah G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Blitzblau
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Maneesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Batra
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gerbi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004175:Diptera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D004440:Ecdysone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000187:drug effects*; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements / Q000187:drug effects; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000187:drug effects; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011987:Receptors, Steroid; C055469:ecdysone receptor; D004440:Ecdysone; D004247:DNA