Two isoforms of Drosophila TRF2 are involved in embryonic development, premeiotic chromatin condensation, and proper differentiation of germ cells of both sexes.
The Drosophila TATA box-binding protein (TBP)-related factor 2 (TRF2 or TLF) was shown to control a subset of genes different from that controlled by TBP. Here, we have investigated the structure and functions of the trf2 gene. We demonstrate that it encodes two protein isoforms: the previously described 75-kDa TRF2 and a newly identified 175-kDa version in which the same sequence is preceded by a long N-terminal domain with coiled-coil motifs. Chromatography of Drosophila embryo extracts revealed that the long TRF2 is part of a multiprotein complex also containing ISWI. Both TRF2 forms are detected at the same sites on polytene chromosomes and have the same expression patterns, suggesting that they fulfill similar functions. A study of the manifestations of the trf2 mutation suggests an essential role of TRF2 during embryonic Drosophila development. The trf2 gene is strongly expressed in germ line cells of adult flies. High levels of TRF2 are found in nuclei of primary spermatocytes and trophocytes with intense transcription. In ovaries, TRF2 is present both in actively transcribing nurse cells and in the transcriptionally inactive oocyte nuclei. Moreover, TRF2 is essential for premeiotic chromatin condensation and proper differentiation of germ cells of both sexes.
Kopytova
Daria V
DV
Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russian Federation.
Krasnov
Aleksey N
AN
Kopantceva
Marina R
MR
Nabirochkina
Elena N
EN
Nikolenko
Julia V
JV
Maksimenko
Oksana
O
Kurshakova
Maria M
MM
Lebedeva
Lubov A
LA
Yerokhin
Maksim M
MM
Simonova
Olga B
OB
Korochkin
Leonid I
LI
Tora
Laszlo
L
Georgiev
Pavel G
PG
Georgieva
Sofia G
SG
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D035341:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D000596:Amino Acids; D002843:Chromatin; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C509085:TRF2 protein, Drosophila; D035341:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2