Development, Vol 121, Issue 6 1855-1866, Copyright © 1995 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Regulation of the infraabdominal regions of the bithorax complex of Drosophila by gap genes

F Casares and E Sanchez-Herrero
Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain.

The expression of the abdominal-A and Abdominal-B genes of the bithorax complex of Drosophila is controlled by cis-regulatory infraabdominal regions. The activation of these regions along the anteroposterior axis of the embryo determines where abdominal-A and Abdominal-B are transcribed. There is spatially restricted transcription of the infraabdominal regions (infraabdominal transcripts) that may reflect this specific activation. We show that the gap genes hunchback, Kruppel, tailless and knirps control abdominal-A and Abdominal-B expression early in development. The restriction of abdominal-A and Abdominal-B transcription is preceded by (and requires) the spatially localized activation of regulatory regions, which can be detected by the distribution of infraabdominal transcripts. The activation of these regions (except the infraabdominal-8 one) could require no specific gap gene. Instead, a general mechanism of activation, combined with repression by gap genes in the anteroposterior axis, seems to be responsible for delimiting infraabdominal active domains. The gradients of the hunchback and Kruppel products seem to be key elements in this restricted activation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Marques-Souza, M. Aranda, and D. Tautz Delimiting the conserved features of hunchback function for the trunk organization of insects Development, March 1, 2008; 135(5): 881 - 888. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Mazo, J. W. Hodgson, S. Petruk, Y. Sedkov, and H. W. Brock Transcriptional interference: an unexpected layer of complexity in gene regulation J. Cell Sci., August 15, 2007; 120(16): 2755 - 2761. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Mihaly, S. Barges, L. Sipos, R. Maeda, F. Cleard, I. Hogga, W. Bender, H. Gyurkovics, and F. Karch Dissecting the regulatory landscape of the Abd-B gene of the bithorax complex Development, August 1, 2006; 133(15): 2983 - 2993. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. K. Maeda and F. Karch The ABC of the BX-C: the bithorax complex explained. Development, April 1, 2006; 133(8): 1413 - 1422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Foronda, B. Estrada, L. de Navas, and E. Sanchez-Herrero Requirement of abdominal-A and Abdominal-B in the developing genitalia of Drosophila breaks the posterior downregulation rule Development, January 1, 2006; 133(1): 117 - 127. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Pultz, L. Westendorf, S. D. Gale, K. Hawkins, J. Lynch, J. N. Pitt, N. L. Reeves, J. C. Y. Yao, S. Small, C. Desplan, et al. A major role for zygotic hunchback in patterning the Nasonia embryo Development, August 15, 2005; 132(16): 3705 - 3715. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Mito, I. Sarashina, H. Zhang, A. Iwahashi, H. Okamoto, K. Miyawaki, Y. Shinmyo, H. Ohuchi, and S. Noji Non-canonical functions of hunchback in segment patterning of the intermediate germ cricket Gryllus bimaculatus Development, May 1, 2005; 132(9): 2069 - 2079. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Schmitt, M. Prestel, and R. Paro Intergenic transcription through a Polycomb group response element counteracts silencing Genes & Dev., March 15, 2005; 19(6): 697 - 708. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Matyash, H.-R. Chung, and H. Jackle Genome-wide Mapping of in Vivo Targets of the Drosophila Transcription Factor Kruppel J. Biol. Chem., July 16, 2004; 279(29): 30689 - 30696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Estrada, F. Casares, A. Busturia, and E. Sanchez-Herrero Genetic and molecular characterization of a novel iab-8 regulatory domain in the Abdominal-B gene of Drosophila melanogaster Development, March 13, 2003; 129(22): 5195 - 5204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Bae, V. C. Calhoun, M. Levine, E. B. Lewis, and R. A. Drewell Characterization of the intergenic RNA profile at abdominal-A and Abdominal-B in the Drosophila bithorax complex PNAS, December 24, 2002; 99(26): 16847 - 16852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. Drewell, E. Bae, J. Burr, and E. B. Lewis Transcription defines the embryonic domains of cis-regulatory activity at the Drosophila bithorax complex PNAS, December 24, 2002; 99(26): 16853 - 16858. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kumar, K. Jayaraman, S. Panchanathan, R. Gurunathan, A. Marti-Subirana, and S. J. Newfeld BEST: A Novel Computational Approach for Comparing Gene Expression Patterns From Early Stages of Drosophila melanogaster Development Genetics, December 1, 2002; 162(4): 2037 - 2047. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Muller, K. Hagstrom, H. Gyurkovics, V. Pirrotta, and P. Schedl The Mcp Element From the Drosophila melanogaster Bithorax Complex Mediates Long-Distance Regulatory Interactions Genetics, November 1, 1999; 153(3): 1333 - 1356. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J Zhou, H Ashe, C Burks, and M Levine Characterization of the transvection mediating region of the abdominal-B locus in Drosophila Development, January 6, 1999; 126(14): 3057 - 3065. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Pultz, J. Pitt, and N. Alto Extensive zygotic control of the anteroposterior axis in the wasp Nasonia vitripennis Development, January 2, 1999; 126(4): 701 - 710. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S Bel, N Core, M Djabali, K Kieboom, N Van der Lugt, M. Alkema, and M Van Lohuizen Genetic interactions and dosage effects of Polycomb group genes in mice Development, January 9, 1998; 125(18): 3543 - 3551. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A Busturia, C. Wightman, and S Sakonju A silencer is required for maintenance of transcriptional repression throughout Drosophila development Development, January 11, 1997; 124(21): 4343 - 4350. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K Hagstrom, M Muller, and P Schedl Fab-7 functions as a chromatin domain boundary to ensure proper segment specification by the Drosophila bithorax complex. Genes & Dev., December 15, 1996; 10(24): 3202 - 3215. [Abstract] [PDF]