Biomaterial Database

An 18-bp element in the 5' untranslated region of the Drosophila beta 2 tubulin mRNA regulates the mRNA level during postmeiotic stages of spermatogenesis. 1993

F Michiels, and D Buttgereit, and R Renkawitz-Pohl

Molekulargenetik, Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps-Universität, Marburg/Germany.

During Drosophila spermatogenesis transcriptional activity is mainly restricted to premeiotic stages. Translation during sperm morphogenesis, however, proceeds for several days, requiring a high stability for mRNAs translated postmeiotically. We studied expression of the Drosophila beta 2 tubulin gene, which is expressed solely in the male germ line from the primary spermatocyte stage onwards. Cis-acting elements involved in the regulation of mRNA levels were investigated in transgenic fly strains. In adult testes, mRNA amounts from beta 2-lacZ fusion genes in the presence of an 18-bp AT-rich element, termed beta 2DE1, are elevated about threefold. The element is present at about the same position in the 5' untranslated regions of the beta 2 tubulin genes of the distantly related species Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei. Changing the position of the element on the mRNA reduces the stabilizing effect, while inversion of the beta 2DE1 abolishes its function. The element also acts in a combination with the beta 1 tubulin transcription start site, and the beta 2UE1, which is required to achieve tissue-specific expression. In all experiments done, the comparison of premeiotic with postmeiotic stages strongly implies that this element is involved in regulating mRNA stability. This mRNA stabilizing element acts in a position-independent manner and also on a heterologous mRNA, showing its autonomous functional activity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008540	Meiosis	A type of CELL NUCLEUS division, occurring during maturation of the GERM CELLS. Two successive cell nucleus divisions following a single chromosome duplication (S PHASE) result in daughter cells with half the number of CHROMOSOMES as the parent cells.	M Phase, Meiotic,Meiotic M Phase,M Phases, Meiotic,Meioses,Meiotic M Phases,Phase, Meiotic M,Phases, Meiotic M
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
D009690	Nucleic Acid Conformation	The spatial arrangement of the atoms of a nucleic acid or polynucleotide that results in its characteristic 3-dimensional shape.	DNA Conformation,RNA Conformation,Conformation, DNA,Conformation, Nucleic Acid,Conformation, RNA,Conformations, DNA,Conformations, Nucleic Acid,Conformations, RNA,DNA Conformations,Nucleic Acid Conformations,RNA Conformations
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
D004274	DNA, Recombinant	Biologically active DNA which has been formed by the in vitro joining of segments of DNA from different sources. It includes the recombination joint or edge of a heteroduplex region where two recombining DNA molecules are connected.	Genes, Spliced,Recombinant DNA,Spliced Gene,Recombinant DNA Research,Recombination Joint,DNA Research, Recombinant,Gene, Spliced,Joint, Recombination,Research, Recombinant DNA,Spliced Genes
D004330	Drosophila	A genus of small, two-winged flies containing approximately 900 described species. These organisms are the most extensively studied of all genera from the standpoint of genetics and cytology.	Fruit Fly, Drosophila,Drosophila Fruit Flies,Drosophila Fruit Fly,Drosophilas,Flies, Drosophila Fruit,Fly, Drosophila Fruit,Fruit Flies, Drosophila
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
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
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia