Milne T A, Sinclair D A, Brock H W
Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Mol Gen Genet. 1999 Jun;261(4-5):753-61. doi: 10.1007/s004380050018.
The protein products of Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) genes are required for the maintenance of the transcriptionally repressed and active states, respectively, of the homeotic genes. Mutations in PcG genes produce gain-of-function (posterior) homeotic transformations, while mutations in trxG genes produce loss-of-function (anterior) homeotic transformations. Double mutant combinations between a PcG gene and a trxG gene suppress the homeotic transformations seen with either mutation alone, suggesting that PcG and trxG genes act antagonistically. The PcG gene Additional sex combs (Asx) is interesting because one mutant allele, AsxP1, causes both anterior and posterior homeotic transformations. AsxP1 and other Asx mutations were crossed to mutations in the PcG gene Polycomb (Pc) and the trxG gene trithorax (trx). Asx alleles enhance both PcG and trxG homeotic transformations, showing that Asx is required for both the activation and the repression of homeotic loci. Asx also shows strong allele-specific interactions with the PcG genes Pc and super sex combs (sxc). Together, these data indicate that there are functional interactions between Asx, Pc and sxc in vivo. ASX may interact with a PcG complex containing PC and SXC and mediate activation versus repression at target loci, perhaps by interacting directly with the TRX protein.
多梳家族(PcG)和三胸节家族(trxG)基因的蛋白质产物分别是维持同源异型基因转录抑制状态和激活状态所必需的。PcG基因突变会产生功能获得性(后部)同源异型转化,而trxG基因突变会产生功能丧失性(前部)同源异型转化。PcG基因和trxG基因之间的双突变组合可抑制单独一种突变时出现的同源异型转化,这表明PcG基因和trxG基因起拮抗作用。PcG基因额外性梳(Asx)很有趣,因为一个突变等位基因AsxP1会导致前部和后部同源异型转化。将AsxP1及其他Asx突变与PcG基因多梳(Pc)和trxG基因三胸节(trx)的突变进行杂交。Asx等位基因增强了PcG和trxG同源异型转化,表明Asx对于同源异型基因座的激活和抑制都是必需的。Asx还与PcG基因Pc和超级性梳(sxc)表现出强烈的等位基因特异性相互作用。总之,这些数据表明在体内Asx、Pc和sxc之间存在功能相互作用。ASX可能与包含PC和SXC的PcG复合物相互作用,并在靶基因座介导激活与抑制,也许是通过直接与TRX蛋白相互作用来实现的。