Genetics, Vol 134, 545-557, Copyright © 1993

INVESTIGATIONS

The male-specific lethal-one (msl-1) Gene of Drosophila melanogaster Encodes a Novel Protein That Associates with the X Chromosome in Males

M. J. Palmer, V. A. Mergner, R. Richman, J. E. Manning, M. I. Kuroda and J. C. Lucchesi
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3280 Present address: Department of Entomology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078.

male-specific lethal-one (msl-1) is one of four genes that are required for dosage compensation in Drosophila males. To determine the molecular basis of msl-1 regulation of dosage compensation, we have cloned the gene and characterized its products. The predicted msl-1 protein (MSL-1) has no significant similarity to proteins in the current data bases but contains an acidic N terminus characteristic of proteins involved in transcription and chromatin modeling. We present evidence that the msl-1 protein is associated with hundreds of sites along the length of the X chromosome in male, but not in female, nuclei. Our findings support the hypothesis that msl-1 plays a direct role in increasing the level of X-linked gene transcription in male nuclei.

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