title: Promoter contribution to the testis-specific expression of Stellate gene family in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Testis-specific tandemly repeated Stellate genes are part of the Ste-Su(Ste) genetic system required for male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster. Stellate genes encode a functional homolog of the β-subunit of protein kinase CK2. Derepression of Stellate results in their over-expression, meiotic disturbances and male sterility. Stellate genes are represented by clustered copies in the X chromosome and carry promoters shared with another X-chromosome cluster, βNACtes genes, encoding putative β-subunits of the nascent polypeptide-associated complex. Using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay, we revealed in the Stellate promoter three cis-acting elements, E-boxes, the loss of which greatly diminished the reporter gene expression in Drosophila testes. We identified that these E-boxes were recognized by helix-loop-helix protein, dUSF (Drosophila ortholog of mammalian USF) in testis nuclear extract. All three E-boxes were preserved in the promoters of both euchromatic and heterochromatic Stellate clusters. Two analogous E-boxes were detected in the promoters of 5'-copies of the duplicated βNACtes gene pairs, whereas the 3'-copies lacked these sites but possessed a new binding site for a testis protein distinct from dUSF. Here we characterized a new type of testis-specific core promoter and identified dUSF as its interacting transcription factor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics of Animals, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 123182 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Oxana M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Olenkina
authors.forename: Ksenia S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Egorova
authors.forename: Mikhail V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Kibanov
authors.forename: Yuri V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Gervaziev
authors.forename: Vladimir A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Gvozdev
authors.forename: Ludmila V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Olenina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051720:Upstream Stimulatory Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D051720:Upstream Stimulatory Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases; C094331:Ste protein, Drosophila