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Chen, Y., Weeks, J., Mortin, M.A., Greenleaf, A.L. (1993). Mapping mutations in genes encoding the two large subunits of Drosophila RNA polymerase II defines domains essential for basic transcription functions and for proper expression of developmental genes.  Mol. Cell. Biol. 13(7): 4214--4222.
FlyBase ID
FBrf0059056
Publication Type
Research paper
Abstract
We have mapped a number of mutations at the DNA sequence level in genes encoding the largest (RpII215) and second-largest (RpII140) subunits of Drosophila melanogaster RNA polymerase II. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, we detected 12 mutations from 14 mutant alleles (86%) as mobility shifts in nondenaturing gel electrophoresis, thus localizing the mutations to the corresponding PCR fragments of about 350 bp. We then determined the mutations at the DNA sequence level by directly subcloning the PCR fragments and sequencing them. The five mapped RpII140 mutations clustered in a C-terminal portion of the second-largest subunit, indicating the functional importance of this region of the subunit. The RpII215 mutations were distributed more broadly, although six of eight clustered in a central region of the subunit. One notable mutation that we localized to this region was the alpha-amanitin-resistant mutation RpII215C4, which also affects RNA chain elongation in vitro. RpII215C4 mapped to a position near the sites of corresponding mutations in mouse and in Caenorhabditis elegans genes, reinforcing the idea that this region is involved in amatoxin binding and transcript elongation. We also mapped mutations in both RpII215 and RpII140 that cause a developmental defect known as the Ubx effect. The clustering of these mutations in each gene suggests that they define functional domains in each subunit whose alteration induces the mutant phenotype.
PubMed ID
PubMed Central ID
PMC359971 (PMC) (EuropePMC)
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Secondary IDs
    Language of Publication
    English
    Additional Languages of Abstract
    Parent Publication
    Publication Type
    Journal
    Abbreviation
    Mol. Cell. Biol.
    Title
    Molecular and Cellular Biology
    Publication Year
    1981-
    ISBN/ISSN
    0270-7306
    Data From Reference