Biomaterial Database

Deformed protein binding sites and cofactor binding sites are required for the function of a small segment-specific regulatory element in Drosophila embryos. 1994

C Zeng, and J Pinsonneault, and G Gellon, and N McGinnis, and W McGinnis

Department of Molecular Biophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114.

How each of the homeotic selector proteins can regulate distinct sets of DNA target elements in embryos is not understood. Here we describe a detailed functional dissection of a small element that is specifically regulated by the Deformed homeotic protein. This 120 bp element (module E) is part of a larger 2.7 kb autoregulatory enhancer that maintains Deformed (Dfd) transcription in the epidermis of the maxillary and mandibular segments of Drosophila embryos. In vitro binding assays show that module E contains only one Dfd protein binding site. Mutations in the Dfd binding site that increase or decrease its in vitro affinity for Dfd protein generate parallel changes in the regulatory activity of module E in transgenic embryos, strong evidence that the in vitro-defined binding site is a direct target of Dfd protein in embryos. However, a monomer or multimer of the Dfd binding region alone is not sufficient to supply Dfd-dependent, segment-specific reporter gene expression. An analysis of a systematic series of clustered point mutations in module E revealed that an additional region containing an imperfect inverted repeat sequence is also required for the function of this homeotic protein response element. The Dfd binding site and the putative cofactor binding site(s) in the region of the inverted repeat are both necessary and in combination sufficient for the function of module E.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007301	Insect Hormones	Hormones secreted by insects. They influence their growth and development. Also synthetic substances that act like insect hormones.	Insect Hormone,Hormone, Insect,Hormones, Insect
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D011485	Protein Binding	The process in which substances, either endogenous or exogenous, bind to proteins, peptides, enzymes, protein precursors, or allied compounds. Specific protein-binding measures are often used as assays in diagnostic assessments.	Plasma Protein Binding Capacity,Binding, Protein
D012045	Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid	Nucleic acid sequences involved in regulating the expression of genes.	Nucleic Acid Regulatory Sequences,Regulatory Regions, Nucleic Acid (Genetics),Region, Regulatory,Regions, Regulatory,Regulator Regions, Nucleic Acid,Regulatory Region,Regulatory Regions
D012091	Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid	Sequences of DNA or RNA that occur in multiple copies. There are several types: INTERSPERSED REPETITIVE SEQUENCES are copies of transposable elements (DNA TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS or RETROELEMENTS) dispersed throughout the genome. TERMINAL REPEAT SEQUENCES flank both ends of another sequence, for example, the long terminal repeats (LTRs) on RETROVIRUSES. Variations may be direct repeats, those occurring in the same direction, or inverted repeats, those opposite to each other in direction. TANDEM REPEAT SEQUENCES are copies which lie adjacent to each other, direct or inverted (INVERTED REPEAT SEQUENCES).	DNA Repetitious Region,Direct Repeat,Genes, Selfish,Nucleic Acid Repetitive Sequences,Repetitive Region,Selfish DNA,Selfish Genes,DNA, Selfish,Repetitious Region, DNA,Repetitive Sequence,DNA Repetitious Regions,DNAs, Selfish,Direct Repeats,Gene, Selfish,Repeat, Direct,Repeats, Direct,Repetitious Regions, DNA,Repetitive Regions,Repetitive Sequences,Selfish DNAs,Selfish Gene
D004252	DNA Mutational Analysis	Biochemical identification of mutational changes in a nucleotide sequence.	Mutational Analysis, DNA,Analysis, DNA Mutational,Analyses, DNA Mutational,DNA Mutational Analyses,Mutational Analyses, DNA
D004268	DNA-Binding Proteins	Proteins which bind to DNA. The family includes proteins which bind to both double- and single-stranded DNA and also includes specific DNA binding proteins in serum which can be used as markers for malignant diseases.	DNA Helix Destabilizing Proteins,DNA-Binding Protein,Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Binding Protein,DNA Single-Stranded Binding Protein,SS DNA BP,Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein,Binding Protein, DNA,DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Single Stranded Binding Protein,DNA-Binding Protein, Single-Stranded,Protein, DNA-Binding,Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein,Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D004742	Enhancer Elements, Genetic	Cis-acting DNA sequences which can increase transcription of genes. Enhancers can usually function in either orientation and at various distances from a promoter.	Enhancer Elements,Enhancer Sequences,Element, Enhancer,Element, Genetic Enhancer,Elements, Enhancer,Elements, Genetic Enhancer,Enhancer Element,Enhancer Element, Genetic,Enhancer Sequence,Genetic Enhancer Element,Genetic Enhancer Elements,Sequence, Enhancer,Sequences, Enhancer
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression