Dietary components modulate yolk protein gene transcription in Drosophila melanogaster

Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bownes ◽  
A. Scott ◽  
A. Shirras
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Protein Gene ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Complete Medium ◽  
General Effect ◽  
Total Recovery ◽  
Insect Hormones

The three yolk proteins of Drosophila melanogaster begin to be synthesized at eclosion. Transcription of the genes is regulated by the genes tra, tra-2 and dsx and also by the insect hormones, juvenile hormone and 20-hydroxyecdysone. We show that there is yet another level of control which is dependent upon feeding. Females that are starved from eclosion show a basal level of yolk protein gene transcription, which is rapidly increased when a complete diet is supplied. We show that the effect is not due to incorrect development of the fat body and is unlikely to be solely due to a general effect on protein synthesis. Later in development, cessation of feeding leads to selective inhibition of yolk protein synthesis and hence egg production. The effects of starvation can be partially overcome by 20-hydroxyecdysone, juvenile hormone, casein, amino acid mix or sucrose, but only a complete medium or live yeast brings about total recovery. Using yp1-Adh fusions (fusions of the promoter region of yp1 to the structural gene for Adh), the DNA sequence required for this diet-enhanced transcription has been located within an 890 bp fragment upstream of the yp1 gene. The insect hormones do not operate on this same DNA fragment.

scholarly journals The doublesex proteins of Drosophila melanogaster bind directly to a sex-specific yolk protein gene enhancer.

1991 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2577-2582 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.C. Burtis ◽  
K.T. Coschigano ◽  
B.S. Baker ◽  
P.C. Wensink
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Protein Gene ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Gene Enhancer

Gene Transcription and Translation in Design

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuemin Hou ◽  
Ji Linhong
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Protein Gene ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Engineering Product ◽  
Development Framework

An organism grows from very small to the whole body, while an engineering product is assembled from elements. An organism is formed autonomously and adaptable to his/her/its environment, while an engineering product can only execute very limited actions. The formation of a product determines its functionality. Nature is the best teacher for learning how structures are formed for specific functionality. This paper compares the design process with the developmental process of embryo and proposes a qualitative development framework that simulates the gene transcription and translation in biology. The key step in design is transforming behaviors to structures. This is a process from information to the form and it bears some similarity with the process from DNA to the protein in embryogenesis. Three basic steps are required from DNA to the protein: gene transcription, transport and protein synthesis, which is named as gene expression. Key mechanisms contributing to this transformation process are investigated and a qualitative development framework are constructed for a growth design process. Simple examples are presented for illustration of proposed methods.

Sex-specific control of Drosophila melanogaster yolk protein 1 gene expression is limited to transcription

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 4756-4764
Author(s):  
K W Kraus ◽  
Y H Lee ◽  
J T Lis ◽  
M F Wolfner
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Rna Splicing ◽  
Posttranscriptional Regulation ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Gene Promoter ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Hsp70 Gene

The sex of Drosophila melanogaster is determined by a hierarchy of genes. The ultimate targets of this regulatory hierarchy are the genes encoding terminal differentiation products of one sex. For one of the best-characterized target genes, that encoding female-specific yolk protein 1 (YP1), sex-specific transcriptional controls have been clearly demonstrated. In addition, sex-specific posttranscriptional controls were suggested from experiments in which YP1 RNA was induced in males with hormones. To determine whether males can efficiently process and translate a transcript which is normally found only in females, we used a non-sex-specific promoter, the hsp70 gene promoter, to drive YP1 gene transcription in germ line transformed males. The efficiency of expression of the YP1 gene at levels of RNA splicing, translation, and protein secretion in these males was compared with that in wild-type females. These experiments show that there are no sex-specific posttranscriptional controls operating to limit the production of secreted YP1 in males. Promoters containing different numbers of heat shock elements were tested for their ability to drive YP1 gene transcription in males. These results show that incompatibility between the hsp70 gene heat shock elements and the YP1 gene promoter can be overcome by increasing the amount of hsp70 gene sequence up or downstream of the TATA box. In the course of this study, two vectors useful for placing genes under heat shock regulation were constructed. One of these vectors is designed so that the heat-induced transcript produced is the "authentic" primary transcript; it should be useful for studies of posttranscriptional regulation.

scholarly journals Hormones and Sex-Specific Transcription Factors Jointly Control Yolk Protein Synthesis in Musca domestica

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Siegenthaler ◽  
Peter Maroy ◽  
Monika Hediger ◽  
Andreas Dübendorfer ◽  
Daniel Bopp
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Musca Domestica ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Yolk Proteins

In the housefly Musca domestica, synthesis of yolk proteins (YPs) depends on the level of circulating ecdysteroid hormones. In female houseflies, the ecdysterone concentration in the hemolymph oscillates and, at high levels, is followed by expression of YP. In male houseflies, the ecdysterone titre is constantly low and no YP is produced. In some strains, which are mutant in key components of the sex-determining pathway, males express YP even though their ecdysterone titre is not significantly elevated. However, we find that these males express a substantial amount of the female variant of the Musca doublesex homologue, Md-dsx. The dsx gene is known to sex-specifically control transcription of yp genes in the fat body of Drosophila melanogaster. Our data suggest that Md-dsx also contributes to the regulation of YP expression in the housefly by modulating the responsiveness of YP-producing cells to hormonal stimuli.

scholarly journals Sex-specific control of Drosophila melanogaster yolk protein 1 gene expression is limited to transcription.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 4756-4764 ◽  
Author(s):  
K W Kraus ◽  
Y H Lee ◽  
J T Lis ◽  
M F Wolfner
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Rna Splicing ◽  
Posttranscriptional Regulation ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Gene Promoter ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Hsp70 Gene

The sex of Drosophila melanogaster is determined by a hierarchy of genes. The ultimate targets of this regulatory hierarchy are the genes encoding terminal differentiation products of one sex. For one of the best-characterized target genes, that encoding female-specific yolk protein 1 (YP1), sex-specific transcriptional controls have been clearly demonstrated. In addition, sex-specific posttranscriptional controls were suggested from experiments in which YP1 RNA was induced in males with hormones. To determine whether males can efficiently process and translate a transcript which is normally found only in females, we used a non-sex-specific promoter, the hsp70 gene promoter, to drive YP1 gene transcription in germ line transformed males. The efficiency of expression of the YP1 gene at levels of RNA splicing, translation, and protein secretion in these males was compared with that in wild-type females. These experiments show that there are no sex-specific posttranscriptional controls operating to limit the production of secreted YP1 in males. Promoters containing different numbers of heat shock elements were tested for their ability to drive YP1 gene transcription in males. These results show that incompatibility between the hsp70 gene heat shock elements and the YP1 gene promoter can be overcome by increasing the amount of hsp70 gene sequence up or downstream of the TATA box. In the course of this study, two vectors useful for placing genes under heat shock regulation were constructed. One of these vectors is designed so that the heat-induced transcript produced is the "authentic" primary transcript; it should be useful for studies of posttranscriptional regulation.

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