The BEN Domain Protein Insensitive Binds to the Fab-7 Chromatin Boundary To Establish Proper Segmental Identity in Drosophila

• Published in: Genetics (Austin) 2018-10, Vol.210 (2), p.573-585
• Main Authors: Fedotova, Anna, Aoki, Tsutomu, Rossier, Mikaël, Mishra, Rakesh Kumar, Clendinen, Chaevia, Kyrchanova, Olga, Wolle, Daniel, Bonchuk, Artem, Maeda, Robert K, Mutero, Annick, Cleard, Fabienne, Mogila, Vladic, Karch, François, Georgiev, Pavel, Schedl, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Animals; Binding sites; Boundaries; Chromatin; Co-Repressor Proteins - genetics; Co-Repressor Proteins - metabolism; Crosstalk; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Embryonic Development - genetics; Experiments; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes; Genetics; Genomes; Insects; Insulator Elements; Insulators; Investigations; Mutants; Mutation; Nuclease; Protein Binding; Proteins; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 1943-2631; 0016-6731; 1943-2631
• DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301259

Boundaries (insulators) in the bithorax complex (BX-C) delimit autonomous regulatory domains that orchestrate the parasegment (PS)-specific expression of the BX-C homeotic genes. The boundary separates the and regulatory domains, which control Abd-B expression in PS11 and PS12, respectively. This boundary is composed of multiple functionally redundant elements and has two key functions: it blocks cross talk between and and facilitates boundary bypass. Here, we show that two BEN domain protein complexes, Insensitive and Elba, bind to multiple sequences located in the nuclease hypersensitive regions. Two of these sequences are recognized by both Insv and Elba and correspond to a CCAATTGG palindrome. Elba also binds to a related CCAATAAG sequence, while Insv does not. However, the third Insv recognition sequences is ∼100 bp in length and contains the CCAATAAG sequence at one end. Both Insv and Elba are assembled into large complexes (∼420 and ∼265-290 kDa, respectively) in nuclear extracts. Using a sensitized genetic background, we show that the Insv protein is required for boundary function and that PS11 identity is not properly established in mutants. This is the first demonstration that a BEN domain protein is important for the functioning of an endogenous fly boundary.