title: STAT is an essential activator of the zygotic genome in the early Drosophila embryo.
abstract: In many organisms, transcription of the zygotic genome begins during the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), which is characterized by a dramatic increase in global transcriptional activities and coincides with embryonic stem cell differentiation. In Drosophila, it has been shown that maternal morphogen gradients and ubiquitously distributed general transcription factors may cooperate to upregulate zygotic genes that are essential for pattern formation in the early embryo. Here, we show that Drosophila STAT (STAT92E) functions as a general transcription factor that, together with the transcription factor Zelda, induces transcription of a large number of early-transcribed zygotic genes during the MZT. STAT92E is present in the early embryo as a maternal product and is active around the MZT. DNA-binding motifs for STAT and Zelda are highly enriched in promoters of early zygotic genes but not in housekeeping genes. Loss of Stat92E in the early embryo, similarly to loss of zelda, preferentially down-regulates early zygotic genes important for pattern formation. We further show that STAT92E and Zelda synergistically regulate transcription. We conclude that STAT92E, in conjunction with Zelda, plays an important role in transcription of the zygotic genome at the onset of embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsurumi
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Jinghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: LaFrance
authors.forename: Willis X
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D019521:Body Patterning; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D015053:Zygote / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors; C105675:Stat92E protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C512295:zld protein, Drosophila