Adaptive variation in lactate dehydrogenase-B gene expression: role of a stress-responsive regulatory element.

ABSTRACT: Although changes in gene regulation may play an important role in adaptive evolution, there have been few attempts to investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for adaptively significant variation in gene expression. Here we describe the mechanism underlying an adaptive difference in the expression of the lactate dehydrogenase-B gene (Ldh-B) between northern and southern populations of the fish Fundulus heteroclitus. Ldh-B regulatory sequences from northern and southern individuals, coupled to a luciferase reporter gene, were introduced into the livers of live fish. Deletion studies indicated that sequence changes between 400 and 500 bp upstream of the transcription start site resulted in a 2-fold difference in reporter gene transcription. These sequence changes can account for the

SUBMITTER: Schulte PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC18671 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature