EGFR and FGFR pathways have distinct roles in Drosophila mushroom body development and ethanol-induced behavior.

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling has a conserved role in ethanol-induced behavior in flies and mice, affecting ethanol-induced sedation in both species. However it is not known what other effects EGFR signaling may have on ethanol-induced behavior, or what roles other Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) pathways may play in ethanol induced behaviors. We examined the effects of both the EGFR and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) RTK signaling pathways on ethanol-induced enhancement of locomotion, a behavior distinct from sedation that may be associated with the rewarding effects of ethanol.

Oviposition preference for and positional avoidance of acetic acid provide a model for competing behavioral drives in Drosophila.

Selection of appropriate oviposition sites is essential for progeny survival and fitness in generalist insect species, such as Drosophila melanogaster, yet little is known about the mechanisms regulating how environmental conditions and innate adult preferences are evaluated and balanced to yield the final substrate choice for egg-deposition. Female D. melanogaster are attracted to food containing acetic acid (AA) as an oviposition substrate.

Analysis of a polycomb group protein defines regions that link repressive activity on nucleosomal templates to in vivo function.

Polycomb group (PcG) genes propagate patterns of transcriptional repression throughout development. The products of several such genes are part of Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), which inhibits chromatin remodeling and transcription in vitro. Genetic and biochemical studies suggest the product of the Posterior sex combs (Psc) gene plays a central role in both PcG-mediated gene repression in vivo and PRC1 activity in vitro.

Division of labor in polycomb group repression.

The epigenetic maintenance of gene expression patterns is essential for developing and maintaining the diverse types of cell that cooperate to form the larger organism. Recent data suggest that proteins of the Polycomb group (PcG) use a combination of posttranslational modifications and structural changes to the underlying chromatin structure to maintain silenced epigenetic states. We are now beginning to understand the mechanisms by which the PcG proteins are able to silence genes and to maintain this silencing over many cell divisions.

Propagation of silencing; recruitment and repression of naive chromatin in trans by polycomb repressed chromatin.

The Polycomb group (PcG) proteins maintain stable and heritable repression of homeotic genes. Typically, Polycomb response elements (PRE) that direct PcG repression are located at great distances (10s of kb) from the promoters of PcG-repressed genes, and it is not known how these PREs can communicate with promoters over such distances. Using Class II mouse PRC core complexes (mPCCs) assembled from recombinant subunits, we investigated how PcG complexes might bridge distant chromosomal regions.

Regulation of Polycomb group complexes by the sequence-specific DNA binding proteins Zeste and GAGA.

Repression and activation of the expression of homeotic genes are maintained by proteins encoded by the Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) genes. Complexes formed by these proteins are targeted by PcG or trxG response elements (PREs/TREs), which share binding sites for several of the same factors. GAGA factor and Zeste bind specifically to PREs/TREs and have been shown to act as both activators and repressors.

Native and recombinant polycomb group complexes establish a selective block to template accessibility to repress transcription in vitro.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are responsible for stable repression of homeotic gene expression during Drosophila melanogaster development. They are thought to stabilize chromatin structure to prevent transcription, though how they do this is unknown. We have established an in vitro system in which the PcG complex PRC1 and a recombinant PRC1 core complex (PCC) containing only PcG proteins are able to repress transcription by both RNA polymerase II and by T7 RNA polymerase.