Evidence for a hierarchical transcriptional circuit in Drosophila male germline involving testis‐specific TAF and two gene‐specific transcription factors, Mod and Acj6

• Published in: FEBS letters 2018-01, Vol.592 (1), p.46-59
• Main Authors: Jiang, Mei, Gao, Zhengliang, Wang, Jian, Nurminsky, Dmitry I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; Computer Simulation; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Regulatory Networks; Genes, Insect; gene‐specific transcription regulator; hierarchical transcriptional circuit; Male; Mutation; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; POU Domain Factors - genetics; POU Domain Factors - metabolism; Promoter Regions, Genetic; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Spermatocytes - metabolism; spermatogenesis; Spermatogenesis - genetics; TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors - genetics; TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors - metabolism; Testis - metabolism; testis‐specific TAF
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12937

To analyze transcription factors involved in gene regulation by testis‐specific TAF (tTAF), tTAF‐dependent promoters were mapped and analyzed in silico. Core promoters show decreased AT content, paucity of classical promoter motifs, and enrichment with translation control element CAAAATTY. Scanning of putative regulatory regions for known position frequency matrices identified 19 transcription regulators possibly contributing to tTAF‐driven gene expression. Decreased male fertility associated with mutation in one of the regulators, Acj6, indicates its involvement in male reproduction. Transcriptome study of testes from male mutants for tTAF, Acj6, and previously characterized tTAF‐interacting factor Modulo implies the existence of a regulatory hierarchy of tTAF, Modulo and Acj6, in which Modulo and/or Acj6 regulate one‐third of tTAF‐dependent genes.