title: EcR-B1 and Usp nuclear hormone receptors regulate expression of the VM32E eggshell gene during Drosophila oogenesis.
abstract: Ecdysone signaling plays key roles in Drosophila oogenesis, as its activity is required at multiple steps during egg chamber maturation. Recently, its involvement has been reported on eggshell production by controlling chorion gene transcription and amplification. Here, we present evidence that ecdysone signaling also controls the expression of the eggshell gene VM32E, whose product is a component of vitelline membrane and endochorion layers. Specifically blocking the function of the different Ecdysone receptor (EcR) isoforms we demonstrate that EcR-B1 is responsible for ecdysone-mediated VM32E transcriptional regulation. Moreover, we show that the EcR partner Ultraspiracle (Usp) is also necessary for VM32E expression. By analyzing the activity of specific VM32E regulatory regions in usp(2) clones we identify the promoter region mediating ecdysone-dependent VM32E expression. By in vitro binding assay and site-directed mutagenesis we demonstrate that this region contains a Usp binding site necessary for VM32E regulation. Our results further support the crucial role of ecdysone signaling in controlling transcription of eggshell structural genes and suggest that the heterodimeric complex EcR-B1/Usp mediates the ecdysone-dependent VM32E transcriptional activation in the main body follicle cells.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica Sperimentale, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzertzinis
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cavaliere
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004440:Ecdysone / Q000502:physiology; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D009866:Oogenesis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066030:USP protein, Drosophila; C055469:ecdysone receptor; C035651:vitelline membrane proteins; D004440:Ecdysone