| Title | Positive and negative regulation of odor receptor gene choice in Drosophila by acj6. | | Author(s) | Bai L, Goldman AL, Carlson JR | | Institution | Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. | | Source | J Neurosci 2009 Oct 14; 29(41):12940-7. | | MeSH | Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
Binding Sites
Drosophila
Drosophila Proteins
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Green Fluorescent Proteins
Larva
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Odors
Olfactory Pathways
Olfactory Receptor Neurons
POU Domain Factors
Protein Binding
Receptors, Odorant
Sense Organs
| | Abstract | Little is known about how individual olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) select, from among many odor receptor genes, which genes to express. Abnormal chemosensory jump 6 (Acj6) is a POU domain transcription factor essential for the specification of ORN identity and odor receptor (Or) gene expression in the Drosophila maxillary palp, one of the two adult olfactory organs. However, the mechanism by which Acj6 functions in this process has not been investigated. Here, we systematically examine the role of Acj6 in the maxillary palp and in a major subset of antennal ORNs. We define an Acj6 binding site by a reiterative in vitro selection process. The site is found upstream of Or genes regulated by Acj6, and Acj6 binds to the site in Or promoters. Mutational analysis shows that the site is essential for Or regulation in vivo. Surprisingly, a novel ORN class in acj6 adults is found to arise from ectopic expression of a larval Or gene, which is repressed in wild type via an Acj6 binding site. Thus, Acj6 acts directly in the process of receptor gene choice; it plays a dual role, positive and negative, in the logic of the process, and acts in partitioning the larval and adult receptor repertoires. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
| | PubMed ID | 19828808 |
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