Genetics, Vol 141, 1075-1086, Copyright © 1995

INVESTIGATIONS

white as a Reporter Gene to Detect Transcriptional Silencers Specifying Position-Specific Gene Expression During Drosophila melanogaster Eye Development

Y. H. Sun, C. J. Tsai, M. M. Green, J. L. Chao, C. T. Yu, T. J. Jaw, J. Y. Yeh and V. N. Bolshakov
Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang Taipei, Graduate Institute of Genetics, National Yang Ming University, Shipai Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

The white(+) gene was used as a reporter to detect transcriptional silencer activity in the Drosophila genome. Changes in the spatial expression pattern of white were scored in the adult eye as nonuniform patterns of pigmentation. Thirty-six independent P[lacW] transposant lines were collected. These represent 12 distinct pigmentation patterns and probably 21 loci. The spatial pigmentation pattern is due to cis-acting suppression of white(+) expression, and the suppression probably depends on cell position rather than cell type. The mechanism of suppression differs from inactivation by heterochromatin. In addition, activation of lacZ in P[lacW] occurs also in specific patterns in imaginal discs and embryos in many of the lines. The expression patterns of white(+) and lacZ may reflect the activity of regulatory elements belonging to an endogenous gene near each P[lacW] insertion site. We speculate that these putative POSE (position-specific expression) genes may have a role in pattern formation of the eye as well as other imaginal structures. Three of the loci identified are optomotor-blind, engrailed and invected. teashirt is also implicated as a candidate gene. We propose that this ``silencer trap'' may be an efficient way of identifying genes involved in imaginal pattern formation.

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