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First published online 26 March 2008
doi: 10.1242/dev.018028

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary Material All Versions of this Article: dev.018028v1 135/9/1669    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prince, F. Articles by Gehring, W. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Prince, F. Articles by Gehring, W. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The YPWM motif links Antennapedia to the basal transcriptional machinery

¹ Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelberstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
² ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
³ CNS-Centre de Biologie du Developpement, 118 route de NARBONNE, Bat 4R3, 31062 Toulouse, France.
⁴ Facultad de Ciencas Biologicas UANL, Cuidad Universitaria, C.P. 66450, Mexico.
⁵ Micromet AG, Am Klopferspitz 19, 82152 Martinsried/Munich, Germany.

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: walter.gehring{at}unibas.ch)

Accepted 1 March 2008

HOX genes specify segment identity along the anteroposterior axis of the embryo. They code for transcription factors harbouring the highly conserved homeodomain and a YPWM motif, situated amino terminally to it. Despite their highly diverse functions in vivo, HOX proteins display similar biochemical properties in vitro, raising the question of how this specificity is achieved. In our study, we investigated the importance of the Antennapedia (Antp) YPWM motif for homeotic transformations in adult Drosophila. By ectopic overexpression, the head structures of the fly can be transformed into structures of the second thoracic segment, such as antenna into second leg, head capsule into thorax (notum) and eye into wing. We found that the YPWM motif is absolutely required for the eye-to-wing transformation. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we were able to identify a novel ANTP-interacting protein, Bric-à-brac interacting protein 2 (BIP2), that specifically interacts with the YPWM motif of ANTP in vitro, as well as in vivo, transforming eye to wing tissue. BIP2 is a TATA-binding protein associated factor (also known as dTAFII3) that links ANTP to the basal transcriptional machinery.

Key words: ANTP, HOX, bip2, dTAF3, Drosophila, Eye-to-wing transformation, Homeotic transformation

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