Dorsal-ventral patterning in Drosophila: DNA binding of snail protein to the single-minded gene

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1992-04, Vol.89 (8), p.3414-3418
• Main Authors: Kasai, Y. (University of California, Los Angeles, CA), Nambu, J.R, Lieberman, P.M, Crews, S.T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenovirus Early Proteins; ADN; Alleles; Animals; Base Sequence; beta-Galactosidase - genetics; beta-Galactosidase - metabolism; Binding sites; Biological and medical sciences; Blastoderm; Blastoderm - physiology; Central nervous system; Consensus sequence; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; DROSOPHILA; Drosophila - embryology; Drosophila - genetics; Embryo, Nonmammalian - physiology; Embryos; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Genes; Genetics; In situ hybridization; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - genetics; Promoter regions; Promoter Regions, Genetic; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; Proteins; SISTEMA NERVIOSO CENTRAL; Snails; SYSTEME NERVEUX CENTRAL; Zinc Fingers - genetics
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.89.8.3414

The Drosophila snail gene is required for proper mesodermal development. Genetic studies suggest that it functions by repressing adjacent ectodermal gene expression including that of the single-minded (sim) gene. The snail gene encodes a protein with a zinc-finger motif, and here we report that the snail gene product is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein. The snail protein recognizes a 14-base-pair consensus sequence that is found nine times in a 2.8-kilobase sim regulatory region. These results provide evidence for the direct control of sim transcription by snail.