Genetics, Vol. 168, 1353-1370, November 2004, Copyright © 2004
doi:10.1534/genetics.104.030676

A Deficiency Screen for Dominant Suppressors of Telomeric Silencing in Drosophila

Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2233

1 Corresponding author: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233.
E-mail: masonj{at}niehs.nih.gov

Heterochromatin is a specialized chromatin structure in chromosomal regions associated with repeated DNA sequences and low concentrations of genes. Formation of heterochromatin is determined in large part by enzymes that modify histones and structural proteins that bind to these modified histones in a cooperative fashion. In Drosophila, mutations in genes that encode heterochromatic proteins are often dominant and increase expression of genes placed into heterochromatic positions. To find components of telomeric heterochromatin in Drosophila, we screened a collection of autosomal deficiencies for dominant suppressors of silencing of a transgene at the telomere of chromosome 2L. While many deficiency chromosomes are associated with dominant suppressors, in the cases tested on chromosome 2 the suppressor mapped to the 2L telomere, rather than the deficiency. We infer that background effects may hamper the search for genes that play a role in telomeric heterochromatin formation and that either very few genes participate in this pathway or mutations in these genes are not dominant suppressors of telomeric position effect. The data also suggest that the 2L telomere region plays a major role in telomeric silencing.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
GeneticsHome page
F. Roegiers, J. Kavaler, N. Tolwinski, Y.-T. Chou, H. Duan, F. Bejarano, D. Zitserman, and E. C. Lai
Frequent Unanticipated Alleles of lethal giant larvae in Drosophila Second Chromosome Stocks
Genetics, May 1, 2009; 182(1): 407 - 410.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
R. C. Frydrychova, J. M. Mason, and T. K. Archer
HP1 Is Distributed Within Distinct Chromatin Domains at Drosophila Telomeres
Genetics, September 1, 2008; 180(1): 121 - 131.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Cell. Biol.Home page
R. C. Frydrychova, H. Biessmann, A. Y. Konev, M. D. Golubovsky, J. Johnson, T. K. Archer, and J. M. Mason
Transcriptional Activity of the Telomeric Retrotransposon HeT-A in Drosophila melanogaster Is Stimulated as a Consequence of Subterminal Deficiencies at Homologous and Nonhomologous Telomeres
Mol. Cell. Biol., July 1, 2007; 27(13): 4991 - 5001.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Cell Sci.Home page
E. N. Andreyeva, E. S. Belyaeva, V. F. Semeshin, G. V. Pokholkova, and I. F. Zhimulev
Three distinct chromatin domains in telomere ends of polytene chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster Tel mutants
J. Cell Sci., December 1, 2005; 118(23): 5465 - 5477.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
H. Biessmann, S. Prasad, V. F. Semeshin, E. N. Andreyeva, Q. Nguyen, M. F. Walter, and J. M. Mason
Two Distinct Domains in Drosophila melanogaster Telomeres
Genetics, December 1, 2005; 171(4): 1767 - 1777.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]