Project description:Genome wide localization of Kumgang, dMi-2, and Aly in Drosophila melanogaster testes were evaluated by ChIP-Seq in wild-type and kmg knock down testes. / Title: Blocking promiscuous activation at cryptic promoters directs cell type–specific gene expression / Abstract: To selectively express cell type–specific transcripts during development, it is critical to maintain genes required for other lineages in a silent state. Here, we show in the Drosophila male germline stem cell lineage that a spermatocyte-specific zinc finger protein, Kumgang (Kmg), working with the chromatin remodeler dMi-2 prevents transcription of genes normally expressed only in somatic lineages. By blocking transcription from normally cryptic promoters, Kmg restricts activation by Aly, a component of the testis-meiotic arrest complex, to transcripts for male germ cell differentiation. Our results suggest that as new regions of the genome become open for transcription during terminal differentiation, blocking the action of a promiscuous activator on cryptic promoters is a critical mechanism for specifying precise gene activation.
Project description:The effect of different spermatocyte-specific loss of functions; kumgang (kmg or CG5204), dMi-2 in the gene expression in fly testes was assessed by RNA-Seq. Gene expression in wild-type heads were also measured to have a reference expression profile of 'somatic tissues'. / Title: Blocking promiscuous activation at cryptic promoters directs cell type–specific gene expression / Abstract: To selectively express cell type–specific transcripts during development, it is critical to maintain genes required for other lineages in a silent state. Here, we show in the Drosophila male germline stem cell lineage that a spermatocyte-specific zinc finger protein, Kumgang (Kmg), working with the chromatin remodeler dMi-2 prevents transcription of genes normally expressed only in somatic lineages. By blocking transcription from normally cryptic promoters, Kmg restricts activation by Aly, a component of the testis-meiotic arrest complex, to transcripts for male germ cell differentiation. Our results suggest that as new regions of the genome become open for transcription during terminal differentiation, blocking the action of a promiscuous activator on cryptic promoters is a critical mechanism for specifying precise gene activation.
Project description:Our objective was to identify candidate genes that contribute to the long 31-hour circadian period previously observed in DGRP_892. We performed transcriptional profiling of whole fly heads from two genotypes: DGRP_892, and Canton-S B, a line with a normal 24-hour circadian period. We collected fly heads every two hours over a 24-hour period. We quantified differential expression among genotype, time, and sex.
Project description:To measure the response to gene dose, we performed mRNA-Seq of fly heads with molecularly defined deletions constructed from DrosDel deficiency lines (Ryder et al. Genetics 2007, 177(1):615-29) on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform.
