Studies of Normal and Position-Affected Expression of ROSY Region Genes in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Transformant complementation, intragenic deletions and Northern blot analyses provide unambiguous localization of the l(3)S12 gene immediately proximal to the 5' end of the rosy locus. We have characterized an array of transformants with respect to l(3)S12 and rosy expression. The l(3)S12 gene is exceedingly sensitive to euchromatic site-specific position effects. Unlike the rosy locus, l(3)S12 is insensitive to heterochromatic position effect in rearrangements, as well as in a transformant located in heterochromatin. Cotransformants for both l(3)S12 and rosy elicit no apparent pattern of concordance with respect to euchromatic site-specific position effects. Heterochromatic-euchromatic rearrangements are examined with respect to position effects on expression of the rosy region genes l(3)12, rosy, snake and piccolo, as well as suppressor effects. Clear distinction is seen between euchromatic and heterochromatic effects.     

Dysgenesis-Induced Instability of Rosy Locus Transformation in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Analysis of Excision Events and the Selective Recovery of Control Element Deletions

Utilizing the method of P-M hybrid dysgenesis-mediated gene transfer to insert rosy locus DNA into various chromosomal locations, we recovered a transformed strain that carries an ry+ transposon inserted in or near the scalloped locus in polytene section 13F on the X chromosome. The resultant product, when stabilized, behaves as a homozygous and hemizygous viable and fertile extreme scalloped allele associated with wild-type expression of the rosy locus. We have labeled this allele, sdry+. This allele has been destabilized by subsequent P-M hybrid dysgenesis, and mutations were recovered that exhibit alterations in the rosy and/or scalloped phenotypes. Representative samples of all phenotypic classes have been characterized by Southern blot analyses of restricted DNA. The most common events are excisions of DNA wholly internal to the transposon and representing sections of rosy DNA. In addition to loss of rosy locus function, such excisions affect the scalloped locus expression.--A second dysgenesis experiment was carried out involving an ry+ transposon inserted in polytene section 16D on the X chromosome. A minimal estimate of the relative frequency of imprecise excisions, determined in this experiment is 75%.--A successful pilot experiment is described that utilizes dysgenic perturbation of the sdry+ allele to select for small deletions of the 5' noncoding region of the rosy locus.     

Identification of an amber nonsense mutation in the rosy516 gene by germline transformation of an amber suppressor tRNA gene.

Seven xanthine dehydrogenase and cross-reacting material negative Drosophila melanogaster rosy stocks were screened for amber and ochre nonsense mutations. Amber and ochre nonsense suppressors were created by site-directed mutagenesis starting from a wild-type tRNA(Tyr) gene. The suppressor tRNA genes were subcloned into a pUChsneo transformation vector providing heat-shock controlled neomycin resistance. The seven rosy stocks were germline transformed with amber and ochre tDNA(Tyr), and the G1 generation was screened for Geneticin resistance. Surviving rosy516 flies transformed with the amber suppressor showed an eye colour intermediate between the original ry516 stock and the wild-type, suggesting that ry516 is an amber nonsense mutant. This was confirmed by sequencing the relevant part of the ry516 gene; the analysis revealed a C-to-T transition in a CAG glutamine codon at nucleotide 1522 of the wild-type rosy gene.     

The effect of chromosomal position on the expression of the Drosophila xanthine dehydrogenase gene

Thirty-six isogenic D. melanogaster strains that differed only in the chromosomal location of a 7.2 or an 8.1 kb DNA segment containing the (autosomal) rosy gene were constructed by P-element-mediated gene transfer. Since the flies were homozygous for a rosy- allele, rosy gene function in these indicated the influence of flanking sequences on gene expression. The tissue distribution of XDH activity in all the strains was normal. Each line exhibited a characteristic level of adult XDH-specific activity. The majority of these values were close to wild-type levels; however, the total variation in specific activity among the lines was nearly fivefold. Thus position effects influence expression of the rosy gene quantitatively but do not detectably alter tissue specificity. X-linked rosy insertions were expressed on average 1.6 times more activity in males than in females. Hence the gene acquires at least partial dosage compensation upon insertion into the X chromosome.     

Isolation and characterization of the Xanthine dehydrogenase gene of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata

Xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is a member of the molybdenum hydroxylase family of enzymes catalyzing the oxidation of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid. The enzyme is also required for the production of one of the major Drosophila eye pigments, drosopterin. The XDH gene has been isolated in many species representing a broad cross section of the major groups of living organisms, including the cDNA encoding XDH from the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (CcXDH) described here. CcXDH is closely related to other insect XDHs and is able to rescue the phenotype of the Drosophila melanogaster XDH mutant, rosy, in germline transformation experiments. A previously identified medfly mutant, termed rosy, whose phenotype is suggestive of a disruption in XDH function, has been examined for possible mutations in the XDH gene. However, we find no direct evidence that a mutation in the CcXDH gene or that a reduction in the CcXDH enzyme activity is present in rosy medflies. Conclusive studies of the nature of the medfly rosy mutant will require rescue by germline transformation of mutant medflies.     

Orientation of IS50 transposase gene and IS50 transposition.

Reversal of transposase gene orientation with respect to the nonidentical ends of IS50 strongly decreased IS50 transposition in both Dam- and Dam+ hosts. In either orientation, IS50 transposase expression was unaffected. These effects were independent of the surrounding DNA context. This shows that the efficiency of IS50 transposition is dependent on transposase gene orientation. The transposition frequencies of transposons utilizing inverted IS50 inside ends (IE), IE-IE transposons, were lower than either outside end (OE)-IE or OE-OE transposons.     

转座酶的人工改造与修饰

转座子是基因组中能发生移动和自主复制的DNA片段,随着人们在分子水平上对转座子结构和功能认识的不断深化,许多转座子已被改造为遗传分析的工具应用于基因功能分析、基因转化和基因治疗。然而,天然转座子的转座能力不高是转座子的开发和利用的主要障碍,近几年来,科学家们运用生物信息学和蛋白质工程相结合的方法来构建活性的转座酶,通过氨基酸优化的方法获得自然界不存在的超活性的转座酶,显著地提高了转座子的转座效率,应用于植物转基因和基因标签技术;另一方面,通过蛋白质融合技术构建转座酶嵌合体,改造转座子插入特性,实现其插入位点的人工调控,应用于基因治疗。     

Preferential Transposition of Drosophila P Elements to Nearby Chromosomal Sites

Two different schemes were used to demonstrate that Drosophila P elements preferentially transpose into genomic regions close to their starting sites. A starting element with weak rosy(+) marker gene expression was mobilized from its location in the subtelomeric region of the 1,300-kb Dp1187 minichromosome. Among progeny lines with altered rosy(+) expression, a much higher than expected frequency contained new insertions on Dp1187. Terminal deficiencies were also recovered frequently. In a second screen, a rosy(+)-marked element causing a lethal mutation of the cactus gene was mobilized in male and female germlines, and viable revertant chromosomes were recovered that still contained a rosy(+) gene due to an intrachromosomal transposition. New transpositions recovered using both methods were mapped between 0 and 128 kb from the starting site. Our results suggested that some mechanism elevates the frequency 43-67-fold with which a P element inserts near its starting site. Local transposition is likely to be useful for enhancing the rate of insertional mutation within predetermined regions of the genome.     

Heterochromatic Position Effect at the Rosy Locus of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Cytological, Genetic and Biochemical Characterization

This report describes cytological, genetic and biochemical studies designed to characterize two γ-radiation induced, apparent "underproducer" variants of the rosy locus (ry:3-52.0), ry^ps1149 and ry^ps11136. The following observations provide a compelling basis for their diagnosis as heterochromatic position effect variants. (1) They are associated with rearrangements that place heterochromatin adjacent to the rosy region of chromosome 3 (87D). (2) The effect of these mutations on rosy locus expression is subject to modification by abnormal Y chromosome content. (3) The rearrangement alters only the expression of the rosy allele on the same chromosome (cis-acting). (4) The Y chromosome modification is only on the position-affected allele's expression. (5) The recessive lethality associated with the rearrangements relate to specific rosy region vital loci, and for ry^{ps 11136}, the lethality is not Y chromosome modified. (6) The peptide product of the position-affected allele is qualitatively normal by several criteria. (7) Heterozygous deletion of 87E2-F2 is a suppressor of the rosy position effect. (8) The rosy position effect on XDH production may be assayed in whole larvae and larval fat body tissue as well as in adults.     

Analysis of Subtelomeric Heterochromatin in the Drosophila Minichromosome Dp1187 by Single P Element Insertional Mutagenesis

We investigated whether single P element insertional mutagenesis could be used to analyze heterochromatin within the Drosophila minichromosome Dp1187. Forty-five insertions of the P[lacZ,rosy+] element onto Dp1187 (recovered among 7,825 transpositions) were highly clustered. None was recovered in centromeric heterochromatin, but 39 occurred about 40 kb from the distal telomere within a 4.7-kb hotspot containing tandem copies of a novel 1.8-kb repetitive DNA sequence. The DNA within and distal to this region lacked essential genes and displayed several other properties characteristic of heterochromatin. The rosy+ genes within the inserted transposons were inhibited by position-effect variegation, and the subtelomeric region was underrepresented in polytene salivary gland cells. These experiments demonstrated that P elements preferentially transpose into a small subset of heterochromatic sites, providing a versatile method for studying the structure and function of these chromosome regions. This approach revealed that a Drosophila chromosome contains a large region of subtelomeric heterochromatin with specific structural and genetic properties.     

Bactrocera tryoni and closely related pest tephritids--molecular analysis and prospects for transgenic control strategies

Bactrocera tryoni is a serious pest of horticulture in eastern Australia. Here we review molecular data relevant to pest status and development of a transformation system for this species. The development of transformation vectors for non-drosophilid insects has opened the door to the possibility of improving the sterile insect technique (SIT), by genetically engineering factory strains of pest insects to produce male-only broods. Transposition assays indicate that all five of the vectors currently used for transformation in non-drosophilid species have the potential to be useful as transformation vectors in B. tryoni. Evidence of cross mobilization of hobo by an endogenous Homer element emphasises the necessity to understand the endogenous transposons within a species. The sex-specific doublesex and yolk protein genes have been characterized with a view to engineering a female-specific lethal gene or modifying gene expression through RNA interference (RNAi). Data are presented which indicate the potential of RNAi to modify the sex ratio of resultant broods. An understanding of how pest status is determined and maintained is being addressed through the characterization of genes of the circadian clock that enable the fly to adapt to environmental cues. Such an understanding will be useful in the future to the effective delivery of sophisticated pest control measures.