Sequence-specific DNA-binding activities of the gap proteins encoded by hunchback and Krüppel in Drosophila

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 341; no. 6240; pp. 331 - 335
• Main Authors: Štanojevi, Dusan, Hoey, Timothy, Levine, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing 28-09-1989; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Drosophila; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila Proteins; Embryos; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression; Genetics; Insects; Juvenile Hormones; Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; Metalloproteins - genetics; Mode of action; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Proteins; Repressor Proteins; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Transcription Factors; Zinc - metabolism; Embryonic development; Sequence specificity; Embryo; Gene interaction; Segmentation; Transcription; Consensus sequence; Insecta; DNA binding protein; Binding site; Gene expression; Drosophilidae; Regulation(control); Arthropoda; DNA; Invertebrata; Drosophila melanogaster; Diptera
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/341331a0

The segmentation of the Drosophila body plan depends on a hierarchy of interactions among approximately 20-25 regulatory genes that are active in the early embryo (refs 1-4; for a review see ref. 5). The gap genes have a key role in this process and are responsible for the periodic expression of certain pair-rule genes and the localized expression of several homoeotic genes. The two best characterized gap genes, hunchback (hb) and Krüppel (Kr), contain homologies with the zinc-finger DNA-binding motif, although their mode of action in the early embryo is unknown. Here we report that both of the proteins encoded by these genes possess sequence-specific DNA-binding activities, which indicates that they might regulate gene expression at the level of transcription. The binding sites of the hb gene product are related by a 10-base pair (bp) consensus sequence, G/A C/C ATAAAAAA, whereas the binding sites of the Kr gene product share a distinct 10-bp motif, AACGGGTTAA. It is possible that the hb and Kr proteins cooperatively regulate gene expression, because they are expressed in broad, overlapping gradients in the early embryo. We also provide evidence that the on/off periodicity of the pair-rule gene even-skipped (eve) involves the interaction of the hb and Kr proteins with defined eve promoter elements.