Simmons, M.J., Raymond, J.D., Grimes, C.D., Belinco, C., Haake, B.C., Jordan, M., Lund, C., Ojala, T.A., Papermaster, D. (1996). Repression of hybrid dysgenesis in Drosophila melanogaster by heat-shock-inducible sense and antisense P-element constructs.  Genetics 144(4): 1529--1544.

FBrf0091172

Research paper

Sets of sense and antisense P-element constructs controlled by a heat-shock-inducible promoter were tested for their ability to repress manifestations of P-element activity in vivo. As a group, the antisense constructs repressed pupal lethality, a somatic manifestation of P activity, and this repression was significantly enhanced by heat shock. Three of the 11 antisense constructs also repressed gonadal dysgenesis, a manifestation of P activity in the female germ line; however, none had any effect on P-element-mediated mutability in the male germ line. Among the 13 different heat-shock-inducible sense constructs that were tested, those containing the KP and DP elements were strong repressors of pupal lethality, gonadal dysgenesis and P-element-mediated mutability; however, individual lines carrying these constructs varied in their ability to repress each of these traits, presumably because of genomic position effects. With the exception of the sense construct that contained a complete P element, none of the sense or antisense constructs repressed a lacZ reporter gene driven by the P-element promoter. Overall, the experimental results suggest that in nature, P-element activity could be regulated by P-encoded polypeptides and by antisense P RNAs.

PMC1207706 (PMC) (EuropePMC)