Independent effects of cis- and trans-regulatory variation on gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster.
Biochemical interactions between cis-regulatory DNA sequences and trans-regulatory gene products suggest that cis- and trans-acting polymorphisms may interact genetically. Here we present a strategy to test this hypothesis by comparing the relative cis-regulatory activity of two alleles in different genetic backgrounds. Of the eight genes surveyed in this study, five were affected by trans-acting variation that altered total transcript levels, two of which were also affected by differences in cis-regulation. The presence of trans-acting variation had no effect on relative cis-regulatory activity, showing that cis-regulatory polymorphisms can function independently of trans-regulatory variation. The frequency of such independent interactions on a genomic scale is yet to be determined.
Wittkopp
Patricia J
PJ
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. wittkopp@umich.edu
Haerum
Belinda K
BK
Clark
Andrew G
AG
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*