title: Mapping of cis-regulatory sites in the promoter of testis-specific stellate genes of Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Tandem Stellate genes organized into two clusters in heterochromatin and euchromatin of the X-chromosome are part of the Ste-Su(Ste) genetic system required for maintenance of male fertility and reproduction of Drosophila melanogaster. Stellate genes encode a regulatory subunit of protein kinase CK2 and are the main targets of germline-specific piRNA-silencing; their derepression leads to appearance of protein crystals in spermatocytes, meiotic disturbances, and male sterility. A short promoter region of 134 bp appears to be sufficient for testis-specific transcription of Stellate, and it contains three closely located cis-regulatory elements called E-boxes. By using reporter analysis, we confirmed a strong functionality of the E-boxes in the Stellate promoter for in vivo transcription. Using selective mutagenesis, we have shown that the presence of the central E-box 2 is preferable to maintain a high-level testis-specific transcription of the reporter gene under the Stellate promoter. The Stellate promoter provides transcription even in heterochromatin, and corresponding mRNAs are translated with the generation of full-size protein products in case of disturbances in the piRNA-silencing process. We have also shown for the first time that the activity of the Stellate promoter is determined by chromatin context of the X-chromosome in male germinal cells, and it increases at about twofold when relocating in autosomes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Olenkina
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Egorova
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Aravin
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Naumova
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Gvozdev
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Olenina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D024721:E-Box Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering