McGinnis N, Kuziora M A, McGinnis W
Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511.
Cell. 1990 Nov 30;63(5):969-76. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90500-e.
Within the serial array of vertebrate homeobox genes in the Hox complexes, it is possible to define a subgroup that is structurally homologous to the Drosophila homeotic gene Deformed (Dfd). We wished to test whether a vertebrate Dfd-like protein could substitute for any of the regulatory functions of the Dfd protein in Drosophila embryos, including its ability to transcriptionally activate the Dfd transcription unit. A fusion gene consisting of a heat shock promoter attached to the human Hox-4.2 gene was introduced into the Drosophila genome, and its regulatory and developmental effects were assayed after heat shock. In developing embryonic and larval cells, we find that human Hox-4.2 specifically activates ectopic expression of the endogeneous Dfd transcription unit and phenocopies a dominant mutant allele of Dfd. Thus, human Hox-4.2 can specifically substitute for a normal regulatory function of its Drosophila homolog, Dfd.
在Hox复合体中脊椎动物同源异型框基因的系列排列中，可以定义出一个与果蝇同源异型基因变形（Dfd）结构同源的亚组。我们希望测试一种脊椎动物类Dfd蛋白是否能够替代果蝇胚胎中Dfd蛋白的任何调控功能，包括其转录激活Dfd转录单位的能力。将一个由与人类Hox - 4.2基因相连的热休克启动子组成的融合基因导入果蝇基因组，并在热休克后检测其调控和发育效应。在发育中的胚胎和幼虫细胞中，我们发现人类Hox - 4.2特异性地激活内源性Dfd转录单位的异位表达，并模拟Dfd的一个显性突变等位基因。因此，人类Hox - 4.2可以特异性地替代其果蝇同源物Dfd的正常调控功能。
