Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1995 Oct 2;14(19):4773–4780. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1995.tb00159.x

Heterodimeric Drosophila gap gene protein complexes acting as transcriptional repressors.

F Sauer 1, H Jäckle 1
PMCID: PMC394575  PMID: 7588607

Abstract

The Drosophila gap gene Krüppel (Kr) encodes a transcriptional regulator. It acts both as an integral part of the Drosophila segmentation gene in the early blastoderm and in a variety of tissues and organs at later stages of embryogenesis. In transfected tissue culture cells, the Kr protein (Kr) was shown to both activate and repress gene expression in a concentration-dependent manner when acting from a single binding site close to the promoter. Here we show that KR can associate with the transcription factors encoded by the gap genes knirps (kni) and hunchback (hb) which affect KR-dependent gene expression in Drosophila tissue culture cells. The association of DNA-bound hb protein or free kni protein with distinct but different regions of KR results in the formation of DNA-bound transcriptional repressor complexes. Our results suggest that individual transcription factors can associate to form protein complexes which act as direct repressors of transcription. The interactions shown here add an unexpected level of complexity to the control of gene expression.

Full text

PDF
4776

Images in this article

4775Image
on p.4775
4775Image
on p.4775
4777Image
on p.4777

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baeuerle P. A., Baltimore D. I kappa B: a specific inhibitor of the NF-kappa B transcription factor. Science. 1988 Oct 28;242(4878):540–546. doi: 10.1126/science.3140380. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beato M. Gene regulation by steroid hormones. Cell. 1989 Feb 10;56(3):335–344. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90237-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carey M. Mechanistic advances in eukaryotic gene activation. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 1991 Jun;3(3):452–460. doi: 10.1016/0955-0674(91)90073-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Diamond M. I., Miner J. N., Yoshinaga S. K., Yamamoto K. R. Transcription factor interactions: selectors of positive or negative regulation from a single DNA element. Science. 1990 Sep 14;249(4974):1266–1272. doi: 10.1126/science.2119054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dostatni N., Lambert P. F., Sousa R., Ham J., Howley P. M., Yaniv M. The functional BPV-1 E2 trans-activating protein can act as a repressor by preventing formation of the initiation complex. Genes Dev. 1991 Sep;5(9):1657–1671. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.9.1657. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Driever W., Nüsslein-Volhard C. The bicoid protein is a positive regulator of hunchback transcription in the early Drosophila embryo. Nature. 1989 Jan 12;337(6203):138–143. doi: 10.1038/337138a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fondell J. D., Roy A. L., Roeder R. G. Unliganded thyroid hormone receptor inhibits formation of a functional preinitiation complex: implications for active repression. Genes Dev. 1993 Jul;7(7B):1400–1410. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.7b.1400. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Frankel A. D., Kim P. S. Modular structure of transcription factors: implications for gene regulation. Cell. 1991 May 31;65(5):717–719. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90378-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gaul U., Weigel D. Regulation of Krüppel expression in the anlage of the Malpighian tubules in the Drosophila embryo. Mech Dev. 1990 Dec;33(1):57–67. doi: 10.1016/0925-4773(90)90135-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gerwin N., La Rosée A., Sauer F., Halbritter H. P., Neumann M., Jäckle H., Nauber U. Functional and conserved domains of the Drosophila transcription factor encoded by the segmentation gene knirps. Mol Cell Biol. 1994 Dec;14(12):7899–7908. doi: 10.1128/mcb.14.12.7899. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gill G., Pascal E., Tseng Z. H., Tjian R. A glutamine-rich hydrophobic patch in transcription factor Sp1 contacts the dTAFII110 component of the Drosophila TFIID complex and mediates transcriptional activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Jan 4;91(1):192–196. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.1.192. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Han K., Manley J. L. Transcriptional repression by the Drosophila even-skipped protein: definition of a minimal repression domain. Genes Dev. 1993 Mar;7(3):491–503. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.3.491. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Harbecke R., Janning W. The segmentation gene Krüppel of Drosophila melanogaster has homeotic properties. Genes Dev. 1989 Jan;3(1):114–122. doi: 10.1101/gad.3.1.114. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hoch M., Gerwin N., Taubert H., Jäckle H. Competition for overlapping sites in the regulatory region of the Drosophila gene Krüppel. Science. 1992 Apr 3;256(5053):94–97. doi: 10.1126/science.1348871. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hoch M., Jäckle H. Transcriptional regulation and spatial patterning in Drosophila. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1993 Aug;3(4):566–573. doi: 10.1016/0959-437x(93)90092-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hoch M., Schröder C., Seifert E., Jäckle H. cis-acting control elements for Krüppel expression in the Drosophila embryo. EMBO J. 1990 Aug;9(8):2587–2595. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07440.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hoey T., Weinzierl R. O., Gill G., Chen J. L., Dynlacht B. D., Tjian R. Molecular cloning and functional analysis of Drosophila TAF110 reveal properties expected of coactivators. Cell. 1993 Jan 29;72(2):247–260. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90664-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ingham P. W. The molecular genetics of embryonic pattern formation in Drosophila. Nature. 1988 Sep 1;335(6185):25–34. doi: 10.1038/335025a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Inostroza J. A., Mermelstein F. H., Ha I., Lane W. S., Reinberg D. Dr1, a TATA-binding protein-associated phosphoprotein and inhibitor of class II gene transcription. Cell. 1992 Aug 7;70(3):477–489. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90172-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Johnson P. F., McKnight S. L. Eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory proteins. Annu Rev Biochem. 1989;58:799–839. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.58.070189.004055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Krasnow M. A., Saffman E. E., Kornfeld K., Hogness D. S. Transcriptional activation and repression by Ultrabithorax proteins in cultured Drosophila cells. Cell. 1989 Jun 16;57(6):1031–1043. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90341-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Levine M., Manley J. L. Transcriptional repression of eukaryotic promoters. Cell. 1989 Nov 3;59(3):405–408. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90024-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Lewin B. Commitment and activation at pol II promoters: a tail of protein-protein interactions. Cell. 1990 Jun 29;61(7):1161–1164. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90675-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Licht J. D., Grossel M. J., Figge J., Hansen U. M. Drosophila Krüppel protein is a transcriptional repressor. Nature. 1990 Jul 5;346(6279):76–79. doi: 10.1038/346076a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Ma J., Ptashne M. The carboxy-terminal 30 amino acids of GAL4 are recognized by GAL80. Cell. 1987 Jul 3;50(1):137–142. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90670-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Meisterernst M., Roeder R. G. Family of proteins that interact with TFIID and regulate promoter activity. Cell. 1991 Nov 1;67(3):557–567. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90530-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Mitchell P. J., Tjian R. Transcriptional regulation in mammalian cells by sequence-specific DNA binding proteins. Science. 1989 Jul 28;245(4916):371–378. doi: 10.1126/science.2667136. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Nauber U., Pankratz M. J., Kienlin A., Seifert E., Klemm U., Jäckle H. Abdominal segmentation of the Drosophila embryo requires a hormone receptor-like protein encoded by the gap gene knirps. Nature. 1988 Dec 1;336(6198):489–492. doi: 10.1038/336489a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Nolan G. P., Baltimore D. The inhibitory ankyrin and activator Rel proteins. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1992 Apr;2(2):211–220. doi: 10.1016/s0959-437x(05)80276-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Pankratz M. J., Busch M., Hoch M., Seifert E., Jäckle H. Spatial control of the gap gene knirps in the Drosophila embryo by posterior morphogen system. Science. 1992 Feb 21;255(5047):986–989. doi: 10.1126/science.1546296. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Ptashne M., Gann A. A. Activators and targets. Nature. 1990 Jul 26;346(6282):329–331. doi: 10.1038/346329a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Ptashne M. How eukaryotic transcriptional activators work. Nature. 1988 Oct 20;335(6192):683–689. doi: 10.1038/335683a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Renkawitz R. Repression mechanisms of v-ERBA and other members of the steroid receptor superfamily. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1993 Jun 11;684:1–10. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1993.tb32266.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Renkawitz R. Transcriptional repression in eukaryotes. Trends Genet. 1990 Jun;6(6):192–197. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(90)90176-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Roeder R. G. The complexities of eukaryotic transcription initiation: regulation of preinitiation complex assembly. Trends Biochem Sci. 1991 Nov;16(11):402–408. doi: 10.1016/0968-0004(91)90164-q. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Roy A. L., Carruthers C., Gutjahr T., Roeder R. G. Direct role for Myc in transcription initiation mediated by interactions with TFII-I. Nature. 1993 Sep 23;365(6444):359–361. doi: 10.1038/365359a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Sauer F., Fondell J. D., Ohkuma Y., Roeder R. G., Jäckle H. Control of transcription by Krüppel through interactions with TFIIB and TFIIE beta. Nature. 1995 May 11;375(6527):162–164. doi: 10.1038/375162a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Sauer F., Jäckle H. Concentration-dependent transcriptional activation or repression by Krüppel from a single binding site. Nature. 1991 Oct 10;353(6344):563–566. doi: 10.1038/353563a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Sauer F., Jäckle H. Dimerization and the control of transcription by Krüppel. Nature. 1993 Jul 29;364(6436):454–457. doi: 10.1038/364454a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Schmucker D., Taubert H., Jäckle H. Formation of the Drosophila larval photoreceptor organ and its neuronal differentiation require continuous Krüppel gene activity. Neuron. 1992 Dec;9(6):1025–1039. doi: 10.1016/0896-6273(92)90063-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Small S., Kraut R., Hoey T., Warrior R., Levine M. Transcriptional regulation of a pair-rule stripe in Drosophila. Genes Dev. 1991 May;5(5):827–839. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.5.827. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Stanojevic D., Small S., Levine M. Regulation of a segmentation stripe by overlapping activators and repressors in the Drosophila embryo. Science. 1991 Nov 29;254(5036):1385–1387. doi: 10.1126/science.1683715. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Stanojević D., Hoey T., Levine M. Sequence-specific DNA-binding activities of the gap proteins encoded by hunchback and Krüppel in Drosophila. Nature. 1989 Sep 28;341(6240):331–335. doi: 10.1038/341331a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Struhl G., Johnston P., Lawrence P. A. Control of Drosophila body pattern by the hunchback morphogen gradient. Cell. 1992 Apr 17;69(2):237–249. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90405-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Tautz D. Regulation of the Drosophila segmentation gene hunchback by two maternal morphogenetic centres. Nature. 1988 Mar 17;332(6161):281–284. doi: 10.1038/332281a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Tjian R., Maniatis T. Transcriptional activation: a complex puzzle with few easy pieces. Cell. 1994 Apr 8;77(1):5–8. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(94)90227-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Treacy M. N., He X., Rosenfeld M. G. I-POU: a POU-domain protein that inhibits neuron-specific gene activation. Nature. 1991 Apr 18;350(6319):577–584. doi: 10.1038/350577a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Yang-Yen H. F., Chambard J. C., Sun Y. L., Smeal T., Schmidt T. J., Drouin J., Karin M. Transcriptional interference between c-Jun and the glucocorticoid receptor: mutual inhibition of DNA binding due to direct protein-protein interaction. Cell. 1990 Sep 21;62(6):1205–1215. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90396-v. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Zuo P., Stanojević D., Colgan J., Han K., Levine M., Manley J. L. Activation and repression of transcription by the gap proteins hunchback and Krüppel in cultured Drosophila cells. Genes Dev. 1991 Feb;5(2):254–264. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.2.254. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES