Abstract
Drosophila wings mainly consist of two cell types, vein and intervein cells. Acquisition of either fate depends on specific expression of genes that are controlled by several signaling pathways. The nuclear mechanisms that translate signaling into regulation of gene expression are not completely understood, but they involve chromatin factors from the Trithorax (TrxG) and Enhancers of Trithorax and Polycomb (ETP) families. One of these is the ETP Corto that participates in intervein fate through interaction with the Drosophila EGF Receptor – MAP kinase ERK pathway. Precise mechanisms and molecular targets of Corto in this process are not known. We show here that Corto interacts with the Elongin transcription elongation complex. This complex, that consists of three subunits (Elongin A, B, C), increases RNA polymerase II elongation rate in vitro by suppressing transient pausing. Analysis of phenotypes induced by EloA, B, or C deregulation as well as genetic interactions suggest that the Elongin complex might participate in vein vs intervein specification, and antagonizes corto as well as several TrxG genes in this process. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Elongin C and Corto bind the vein-promoting gene rhomboid in wing imaginal discs. We propose that Corto and the Elongin complex participate together in vein vs intervein fate, possibly through tissue-specific transcriptional regulation of rhomboid.
Highlights
Drosophila wings are mainly composed of two cell types, vein and intervein cells
To validate the interaction between Corto and Elongin C (EloC) detected in a two-hybrid screen [34], and to test whether Corto interacted with the Elongin A (EloA) catalytic and Elongin B (EloB) regulatory subunits of the Elongin complex, we performed co-immunoprecipitation experiments with Myc- and FLAG-tagged proteins expressed in Drosophila S2 cells
We show that the Enhancers of Trithorax and Polycomb (ETP) Corto interacts with all three Elo proteins, suggesting that Corto interacts with the Elongin complex
Summary
Drosophila wings are mainly composed of two cell types, vein and intervein cells. In Drosophila melanogaster, vein cells form a stereotyped network of five longitudinal veins and two cross-veins that act as rigid supports necessary for flight. Intervein cells are much more abundant than vein cells and separate veins from each other. They are less pigmented and die shortly after adult emergence, whereas vein cells survive into adulthood. Intervein cells from the two apposed wing monolayers strongly adhere via integrins. Vein cells do not adhere to each other, and form fluid-conducting tubes surrounded by intervein tissue [1]
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