Figure 6.

The dATF-2 protein is required for heterochromatin formation in Drosophila. (A) In the w^m4 mutant line, the white gene is located close to centromeric heterochromatin on the X chromosome because of a large inversion. (B, left) In w^m4, dATF-2 maintains the H3K9me3 status of heterochromatin, which causes white gene silencing and a mottled-eye phenotype. (B right) In the w^m4 mutant carrying a dATF-2 mutation, the degree of H3K9me3 in heterochromatin is reduced, resulting in heterochromatin disruption and white gene induction.