DmOAZ, the unique Drosophila melanogaster OAZ homologue is involved in posterior spiracle development

• Published in: Development genes and evolution 2007-03, Vol.217 (3), p.197-208
• Main Authors: Krattinger, Anne, Gendre, Nanaë, Ramaekers, Ariane, Grillenzoni, Nicola, Stocker, Reinhard F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Conserved sequence; C₂H₂ zinc finger transcription factor; dmOAZ mutant; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - chemistry; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism; Genes; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Insects; Larva; Molecular Sequence Data; Morphogenesis; Mutants; Mutation - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; OAZ protein family; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Protein structure; Respiratory System - embryology; Respiratory System - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA-directed DNA polymerase; Sequence Analysis, Protein; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Spiracle development; Spiracles; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Zinc finger proteins
• ISSN: 0949-944X; 1432-041X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00427-007-0134-7

In this paper, we study DmOAZ, the unique Drosophila melanogaster homologue of the OAZ zinc finger protein family. We show partial conservation of the zinc finger organization between DmOAZ and the vertebrate members of this family. We determine the exon/intron structure of the dmOAZ gene and deduce its open reading frame. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis shows that dmOAZ is transcribed throughout life. In the embryo, strongest DmOAZ expression is observed in the posterior spiracles. We suggest that dmOAZ acts as a secondary target of the Abd-B gene in posterior spiracle development, downstream of cut and ems. In a newly created loss-of-function mutant, dmOAZ ⁹³ , the “filzkörper” part of the posterior spiracles, is indeed structurally abnormal. The dmOAZ ⁹³ mutant is a larval lethal, a phenotype that may be linked to the spiracular defect. Given the dmOAZ ⁹³ mutant as a new tool, the fruit fly may provide an alternative model for analyzing in vivo the functions of OAZ family members.