Project description:We have carried out a systematic analysis of the in vivo genomic binding profiles of all eight Drosophila Hox proteins using transient transfection in Kc167 cells to examine Hox protein targeting. In addition, we have examined Hox protein binding in cells transfected with both Hox and the cofactor, Homothorax. Provision of Homothorax also recruits the cofactor Extradenticle.
Project description:We have carried out analysis of the in vivo genomic binding profiles of Drosophila Hox proteins using stable cell lines to examine Hox protein targeting. We have also examined Hox protein binding in stable cell lines expressing both Hox and the cofactor, Homothorax. Provision of Homothorax also recruits the cofactor Extradenticle.In addition, we have examined Hox protein binding in stable cell lines expressing both Hox and the pioneer factor, Glial cells missing in the absence or presence of Homothorax.
Project description:Hox genes encode a family of transcription factors that are key developmental regulators with a highly conserved role in specifying segmental diversity along the metazoan body axis. Although they have been shown to regulate a wide variety of downstream processes, direct transcriptional targets have been difficult to identify and this has been a major obstacle to our understanding of Hox gene function. Here we report the use of a YFP-tagged Drosophila protein-trap line together with chromatin immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis to identify genome-wide binding sites for the Hox protein Ultrabithorax (Ubx). We find 1,147 genes bound by Ubx in chromatin from the haltere imaginal disc, a prominent site of Ubx function where it specifies haltere versus wing development. The functional relevance of these genes is supported by their overlap with genes showing differential expression between wing and haltere imaginal discs. The Ubx-bound genes are highly enriched in genes involved in developmental processes. They contain both high-level regulatory genes as well as genes involved in more basic cell functions supporting the idea that Hox genes regulate many levels of developmental pathways. Several signalling pathways are highly enriched and within these pathways Ubx target genes occur at multiple level from ligands to transcriptional effectors. We also performed genome-wide analysis of the binding sites for the Hox cofactor Homothorax (Hth), revealing a striking similarity in the binding profiles of Hth and Ubx. We suggest that these binding profiles may be strongly influenced by chromatin accessibility and we provide evidence of a clear link between Ubx/Hth binding and the chromatin state at genes regulated by Polycomb silencing. The role of chromatin accessibility has important implications for Hox gene function and for genomic target selection by transcription factors in general.
Project description:We profiled the chromatin accessibility, transcription factor binding, and gene expression in the homologous wing and haltere imaginal disc of Drosophila melanogaster, which are distinguished by the expression of the Hox protein Ultrabithorax (Ubx). Through the analysis of chromatin changes, we show Ubx has widespread effects on the chromatin landscape to specify cell identity.
Project description:Although the majority of genomic binding sites for the insulator protein CTCF are constitutively occupied, a subset show variable occupancy. Such variable sites provide an opportunity to assess context-specific CTCF functions in gene regulation. Here we have identified a variably occupied CTCF site in the Ultrabithorax (Ubx) gene in Drosophila. This site is occupied in tissues where Ubx is active (third thoracic imaginal leg disc) but is not bound in tissues where the Ubx gene is repressed (first thoracic imaginal leg disc). Comparison of CTCF binding in T1 leg disc vs T3 leg disc in from 3rd instar larva
Project description:Although the majority of genomic binding sites for the insulator protein CTCF are constitutively occupied, a subset show variable occupancy. Such variable sites provide an opportunity to assess context-specific CTCF functions in gene regulation. Here we have identified a variably occupied CTCF site in the Ultrabithorax (Ubx) gene in Drosophila. This site is occupied in tissues where Ubx is active (third thoracic imaginal leg disc) but is not bound in tissues where the Ubx gene is repressed (first thoracic imaginal leg disc).
Project description:Precise gene expression is a fundamental aspect of organismal function and depends on the combinatorial interplay of transcription factors (TFs) with cis‐regulatory DNA elements. While much is known about TF function in general, our understanding of their cell type‐specific activities is still poor. To address how widely expressed transcriptional regulators modulate downstream gene activity with high cellular specificity, we have identified binding regions for the Hox TF Deformed (Dfd) in the Drosophila genome. Our analysis of architectural features within Hox cis‐regulatory response elements (HREs) shows that HRE structure is essential for cell type‐specific gene expression. We also find that Dfd and Ultrabithorax (Ubx), another Hox TF specifying different morphological traits, interact with non‐overlapping regions in vivo, despite their similar DNA binding preferences. While Dfd and Ubx HREs exhibit comparable design principles, their motif compositions and motif‐pair associations are distinct, explaining the highly selective interaction of these Hox proteins with the regulatory environment. Thus, our results uncover the regulatory code imprinted in Hox enhancers and elucidate the mechanisms underlying functional specificity of TFs in vivo.