Drosophila CTCF is required for Fab-8 enhancer blocking activity in S2 cells.

ABSTRACT: CTCF is a conserved transcriptional regulator with binding sites in DNA insulators identified in vertebrates and invertebrates. The Drosophila Abdominal-B locus contains CTCF binding sites in the Fab-8 DNA insulator. Previous reports have shown that Fab-8 has enhancer blocking activity in Drosophila transgenic assays. We now confirm the enhancer blocking capability of the Fab-8 insulator in stably transfected Drosophila S2 cells and show this activity depends on the Fab-8 CTCF binding sites. Furthermore, knockdown of Drosophila CTCF by RNAi in our stable cell lines demonstrates that CTCF itself is critical for Fab-8 enhancer blocking.

SUBMITTER: Ciavatta D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2694738 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature