Open AccessA member of the steroid hormone receptor gene family is expressed in the 20-OH-ecdysone inducible puff 75B inDrosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
G. Feigl,
Magnus Gram,
Olaf Pongs
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
nucleic acids research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.008
H-Index - 537
eISSN - 1362-4954
pISSN - 0305-1048
DOI - 10.1093/nar/17.18.7167
Subject(s) - ecdysone , ecdysone receptor , biology , drosophila melanogaster , steroid hormone , complementary dna , microbiology and biotechnology , nuclear receptor , thyroid hormone receptor , gene , transcription factor , retinoic acid , receptor , biochemistry
Drosophila melanogaster DNA has been cloned which encompasses a major part of the 20-OH-ecdysone inducible puff 75B. One 20-OH-ecdysone responsive transcription unit was detected which is expressed into two transcripts which accumulate upon the incubation of salivary glands of 3rd instar larvae with 20-OH-ecdysone. This accumulation is correlated with the 20-OH-ecdysone induced activity of puff 75B. 75B cDNA analysis indicates that the activity of puff 75B leads to the synthesis of a protein which belongs to the steroid and thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. The highest similarity of the derived 75B protein sequence was found to the DNA and ligand binding domains of human retinoic acid receptor. A study of the tissue distribution in larvae revealed that 75B mRNA is present in most, if not all 20-OH-ecdysone target tissues. It is proposed that 75B protein is a DNA-binding protein playing a key role in mediating the regulation of the larval molt by 20-OH-ecdysone.