Activation and repression of transcription by the gap proteins hunchback and Krüppel in cultured Drosophila cells

Ping Zuo; Dušan Stanojević; John Colgan; Kyuhyung Han; Michael Levine; James L Manley

doi:10.1101/gad.5.2.254

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Activation and repression of transcription by the gap proteins hunchback and Krüppel in cultured Drosophila cells

Ping Zuo, Dušan Stanojević, John Colgan, Kyuhyung Han, Michael Levine and James L Manley

Genes & development, Vol.5(2), pp.254-264

1991

DOI: 10.1101/gad.5.2.254

PMID: 1671661

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Abstract

We have studied the ability of the Drosophila gap proteins Krüppel and hunchback to function as transcriptional regulators in cultured cells. Both proteins bind to specific sites in a 100-bp DNA fragment located upstream of the segment polarity gene engrailed, which also contains functional binding sites for a number of homeo box proteins. The hunchback protein is a strikingly concentration-dependent activator of transcription, capable of functioning both by itself and also synergistically with the pair-rule proteins fushi tarazu and paired. In contrast, Krüppel is a transcriptional repressor that can block transcription induced either by hunchback or by several different homeo box proteins. While repression of the homeo box protein activators requires a Krüppel-binding site on the DNA, repression of hunchback can occur efficiently in the absence of a Krüppel-binding site. We discuss the possible molecular mechanisms underlying these activities, as well as the potential significance of these results with respect to segmentation in Drosophila.

Molecular Genetics

Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology

Biological and medical sciences

Transcription. Transcription factor. Splicing. Rna processing

Molecular and cellular biology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Activation and repression of transcription by the gap proteins hunchback and Krüppel in cultured Drosophila cells
Creators: Ping Zuo - Columbia univ., dep. biological sci., New York NY 10027, United States
Dušan Stanojević - Columbia univ., dep. biological sci., New York NY 10027, United States
John Colgan - Columbia univ., dep. biological sci., New York NY 10027, United States
Kyuhyung Han - Columbia univ., dep. biological sci., New York NY 10027, United States
Michael Levine - Columbia univ., dep. biological sci., New York NY 10027, United States
James L Manley - Columbia univ., dep. biological sci., New York NY 10027, United States
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Genes & development, Vol.5(2), pp.254-264
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Cold Spring Harbor, NY
DOI: 10.1101/gad.5.2.254
PMID: 1671661
ISSN: 0890-9369
eISSN: 1549-5477
Language: English
Date published: 1991
Academic Unit: Anatomy and Cell Biology; Immunology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984025402202771

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