title: Ligand-Bound GeneSwitch Causes Developmental Aberrations in Drosophila that Are Alleviated by the Alternative Oxidase.
abstract: Culture of Drosophila expressing the steroid-dependent GeneSwitch transcriptional activator under the control of the ubiquitous α-tubulin promoter was found to produce extensive pupal lethality, as well as a range of dysmorphic adult phenotypes, in the presence of high concentrations of the inducing drug RU486. Prominent among these was cleft thorax, seen previously in flies bearing mutant alleles of the nuclear receptor Ultraspiracle and many other mutants, as well as notched wings, leg malformations, and bristle abnormalities. Neither the α-tubulin-GeneSwitch driver nor the inducing drug on their own produced any of these effects. A second GeneSwitch driver, under the control of the daughterless promoter, which gave much lower and more tissue-restricted transgene expression, exhibited only mild bristle abnormalities in the presence of high levels of RU486. Coexpression of the alternative oxidase (AOX) from Ciona intestinalis produced a substantial shift in the developmental outcome toward a wild-type phenotype, which was dependent on the AOX expression level. Neither an enzymatically inactivated variant of AOX, nor GFP, or the alternative NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1 from yeast gave any such rescue. Users of the GeneSwitch system should be aware of the potential confounding effects of its application in developmental studies.
authors.affiliation: BioMediTech, FI-33520, University of Tampere, Finland Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andjelković
authors.affiliation: BioMediTech, FI-33520, University of Tampere, Finland Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Kia K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kemppainen
authors.affiliation: BioMediTech, FI-33520, University of Tampere, Finland Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014, University of Tampere, Finland Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland howard.jacobs@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Howard T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000235:genetics; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D008024:Ligands; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011679:Pupa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D013909:Thorax / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000187:drug effects; D000099188:Alternative Oxidase
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I; D008024:Ligands; D015735:Mifepristone; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D010940:Plant Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099188:Alternative Oxidase; C493237:Ndi1 protein, S cerevisiae; C066030:USP protein, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila; cleft thorax; inducible transgenes; notched wings; nuclear receptor