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The cis-regulatory code of Hox function in Drosophila

Sorge, Sebastian, Ha, Nati, Polychronidou, Maria, Friedrich, Jana, Bezdan, Daniela, Kaspar, Petra, Schaefer, Martin H, Ossowski, Stephan, Henz, Stefan R, Mundorf, Juliane, and others. (2012) The cis-regulatory code of Hox function in Drosophila. The EMBO Journal, 31 (15). pp. 3323-3333. ISSN 0261-4189. (doi:10.1038/emboj.2012.179) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:78998)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2012.179

Abstract

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.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1038/emboj.2012.179
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Kent and Medway Medical School
Depositing User: Fani Papagiannouli
Date Deposited: 26 Nov 2019 15:35 UTC
Last Modified: 21 May 2024 08:21 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/78998 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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