Rapid evolutionary rewiring of a structurally constrained eye enhancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Enhancers are genomic cis-regulatory sequences that integrate spatiotemporal signals to control gene expression. Enhancer activity depends on the combination of bound transcription factors as well as-in some cases-the arrangement and spacing of binding sites for these factors. Here, we examine evolutionary changes to the sequence and structure of sparkling, a Notch/EGFR/Runx-regulated enhancer that activates the dPax2 gene in cone cells of the developing Drosophila eye.

Results

Despite functional and structural constraints on its sequence, sparkling has undergone major reorganization in its recent evolutionary history. Our data suggest that the relative strengths of the various regulatory inputs into sparkling change rapidly over evolutionary time, such that reduc

SUBMITTER: Swanson CI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3143281 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature