Mizrokhi, L.I., Mazo, A.M., Karavanov, A.A., Sedkov, Y.A., Krichevskaia, A.A., Ilyin, Y.V. (1989). [Mutations in Drosophila due to the insertion of mdg4 are suppressed by the interaction of the products of the su-Hw and su-f genes with the region of mdg4 which regulates its transcription.]  Genetika, Moscow 25(5): 784--798.

FBrf0049979

Research paper

The mdg4 (gypsy) mobile element of Drosophila contains two closely situated regions binding to proteins from nuclear extracts. One of these is an imperfect palindrome having homology with the lac operator of Escherichia coli, the other contains a reiterated sequence (5'PyPuTCTGCATACTPyPy) homologous to the octamer which is the core of many enhancers and upstream promoter elements. The transient expression of deletion mutants has shown that these DNA regions are negative and positive regulators, respectively, of mdg4 transcription. As was demonstrated earlier, mutations induced by the presence of mdg4 at different loci are suppressed, owing to either repression or activation of mdg4 transcription in Drosophila lines carrying unlinked mutations in su(Hw) or su(f) genes. We have shown that binding to a negative regulator (silencer) is weakened in nuclear extracts isolated from cell lines carrying su(f) mutations which activate mdg4 transcription; therefore, the su(f) gene codes for a protein capable of mdg4 repression. Furthermore, binding to a positive regulator is weakened in nuclear extracts isolated from cell lines carrying su(Hw) gene mutations which decrease the level of mdg4 transcription; hence, the su(Hw) gene encodes a protein which activates mdg4 transcription.