Drosophila Heterochromatin Stabilization Requires the Zinc-Finger Protein Small Ovary

• Published in: Genetics (Austin) 2019-11, Vol.213 (3), p.877-895
• Main Authors: Benner, Leif, Castro, Elias A, Whitworth, Cale, Venken, Koen J T, Yang, Haiwang, Fang, Junnan, Oliver, Brian, Cook, Kevin R, Lerit, Dorothy A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Compound Eye, Arthropod - growth & development; Compound Eye, Arthropod - metabolism; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA Transposable Elements; DNA-Binding Proteins - chemistry; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila Proteins - chemistry; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Female; Gene expression; Gene regulation; Genetics; Genomics; Heterochromatin; Heterochromatin - genetics; Heterochromatin - metabolism; Heterochromatin protein 1; Insects; Investigations; Loci; Loss of Function Mutation; Morphogenesis; Mutants; Mutation; Ontology; Ovary - growth & development; Ovary - metabolism; Phenotypes; Position-effect variegation; Proteins; Stabilization; Stem cells; Transcription factors; Transposons; Variegation; Zinc; Zinc finger proteins; Zinc Fingers
• ISSN: 1943-2631; 0016-6731; 1943-2631
• DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302590

Heterochromatin-mediated repression is essential for controlling the expression of transposons and for coordinated cell type-specific gene regulation. The ( ) locus was identified in a screen for female-sterile mutations in , and mutants show dramatic ovarian morphogenesis defects. We show that the null phenotype is lethal and map the locus to the uncharacterized gene , which encodes a nuclear zinc-finger protein that colocalizes with the essential Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1a). We demonstrate Sov functions to repress inappropriate gene expression in the ovary, silence transposons, and suppress position-effect variegation in the eye, suggesting a central role in heterochromatin stabilization.