Characterization of () and , Essential Paralogous Genes Which Encode the Enzymes That Catalyze the Rate-Limiting Step in the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway in .

The () locus is known for its essential role in the development of the embryonic cuticle of . We show here that encodes (; ), the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP). This conserved pathway diverts 2%-5% of cellular glucose from glycolysis and is a nexus of sugar (fructose-6-phosphate), amino acid (glutamine), fatty acid [acetyl-coenzymeA (CoA)], and nucleotide/energy (UDP) metabolism.

Genetic and Molecular Analysis of Essential Genes in Centromeric Heterochromatin of the Left Arm of Chromosome 3 in .

A large portion of the genome is contained within heterochromatic regions of chromosomes, predominantly at centromeres and telomeres. The remaining euchromatic portions of the genome have been extensively characterized with respect to gene organization, function and regulation. However, it has been difficult to derive similar data for sequences within centromeric (centric) heterochromatin because these regions have not been as amenable to analysis by standard genetic and molecular tools.

Cooperative Control of Ecdysone Biosynthesis in by Transcription Factors Séance, Ouija Board, and Molting Defective.

Ecdysteroids are steroid hormones that control many aspects of development and physiology. During larval development, ecdysone is synthesized in an endocrine organ called the prothoracic gland through a series of ecdysteroidogenic enzymes encoded by the Halloween genes. The expression of the Halloween genes is highly restricted and dynamic, indicating that their spatiotemporal regulation is mediated by their tight transcriptional control.

Coordinated regulation of acid resistance in Escherichia coli.

Background: Enteric Escherichia coli survives the highly acidic environment of the stomach through multiple acid resistance (AR) mechanisms. The most effective system, AR2, decarboxylates externally-derived glutamate to remove cytoplasmic protons and excrete GABA. The first described system, AR1, does not require an external amino acid.

Genome-wide chemical mapping of O-GlcNAcylated proteins in Drosophila melanogaster.

N-Acetylglucosamine β-O-linked to nucleocytoplasmic proteins (O-GlcNAc) is implicated in the regulation of gene expression in organisms, from humans to Drosophila melanogaster. Within Drosophila, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is one of the Polycomb group proteins (PcGs) that act through Polycomb group response elements (PREs) to silence homeotic (HOX) and other PcG target genes. Using Drosophila, we identify new O-GlcNAcylated PcG proteins and develop an antibody-free metabolic feeding approach to chemoselectively map genomic loci enriched in O-GlcNAc using next-generation sequencing.