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The Lawc protein is required for proper transcription by RNA polymerase II in Drosophila

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Abstract

Genetic analysis of the Drosophila leg–arista–wing complex (lawc) gene suggests a role for the Lawc protein in chromatin-related processes based on its classification as a trxG gene but the molecular mechanisms of its function remain elusive. We have found that Lawc is a small, cysteine-rich protein that is present in most of the interbands of polytene chromosomes. In agreement with this observation, Lawc co-localizes with RNA polymerase IIo (Pol IIo) and it is recruited to transcribed loci after elongation by Pol IIo has begun. Lawc interacts with the nuclear proteasome regulator dREGγ in a yeast two-hybrid assay and both proteins co-localize on polytene chromosomes. In addition, a mutation in lawc interacts genetically with a mutation in a component of the proteasome. lawc mutants show decreased expression of some genes, while the levels of Pol IIoSer2 increase. We conclude that Lawc is required for proper transcription by RNA polymerase II in a process that involves the nuclear proteasome.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ellen M. Baxter for the establishment of transgenic flies and Dr. Mark Van Doren and members of his lab for providing a welcoming and stimulating environment to carry out some of the work described in the manuscript. We also thank Dr. Patrick Young for α-dREGγ, Dr. Susan M. Parkhurst for a cDNA library and Drs Allan C. Spradling, Mark Van Doren, Kyle W. Cunningham, Maya Capelson, Ellen M. Baxter, and Reed S. Shabman for advice. The EcR antibody developed by C. Thummel and D. Hogness was obtained from the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank established under the auspices of the NICHD and maintained by The University of Iowa, Department of Biological Sciences, Iowa City, IA 52242. This work was supported by National Science Foundation Award MCB-0618972.

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  1. Victor G. Corces

    Present address: Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

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  1. Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA

    Tracy Brandt & Victor G. Corces

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  1. Tracy Brandt
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  2. Victor G. Corces
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Correspondence to Victor G. Corces.

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Communicated by T. Clandinin.

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Brandt, T., Corces, V.G. The Lawc protein is required for proper transcription by RNA polymerase II in Drosophila . Mol Genet Genomics 280, 385–396 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-008-0372-z

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