Characterization of sequences associated with position-effect variegation at pericentric sites in Drosophila heterochromatin

In a variety of organisms, euchromatic genes brought into juxtaposition with pericentric heterochromatin show position-effect variegation (PEV), a silencing of gene expression in a subset of the cells in which the gene is normally expressed. Previously, a P-element mobilization screen identified tra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chromosoma 1998-11, Vol.107 (5), p.277-285
Main Authors: Cryderman, D.E, Cuaycong, M.H, Elgin, S.C.R, Wallrath, L.L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone - genetics
chromosome mapping
DNA Transposable Elements
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila Proteins
Eye Color - genetics
Eye Proteins
Female
genbank/af068629
genbank/af068630
genbank/af068631
Gene expression
Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics
Heterochromatin - genetics
HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics
Insect Proteins - genetics
Insects
Kinases
Male
molecular sequence data
Mutation
nucleic acid hybridization
nucleotide sequences
Proteins
Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
Transgenes
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Summary:In a variety of organisms, euchromatic genes brought into juxtaposition with pericentric heterochromatin show position-effect variegation (PEV), a silencing of gene expression in a subset of the cells in which the gene is normally expressed. Previously, a P-element mobilization screen identified transgenic Drosophila stocks showing PEV of an hsp70-white+ reporter gene; transgenes in many of these stocks map to the chromocenter of polytene chromosome. A screen at an elevated temperature identified two stocks that under standard culture temperatures show complete repression of the hsp70-white+ transgene. The transgenes in both cases map to the chromocenter of polytene chromosomes. Different types of middle repetitive elements are adjacent to seven pericentric transgenes; unique sequences are adjacent to two of the perimetric transgenes. All of the transgenes show suppression of PEV in response to a mutation in the gene encoding heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1). This suppression correlates with a more accessible chromatin structure. The results indicate that a pericentric transgene showing PEV can be associated with different types of DNA sequences, while maintaining a common association with the chromosomal protein HP1.
ISSN:0009-5915
1432-0886
DOI:10.1007/s004120050309