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doi: 10.1242/10.1242/jcs.00196

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Journal of Cell Science 116, 169-176 (2003)
doi: 10.1242/jcs.00196

Research Article

Overexpression of the SuUR gene induces reversible modifications at pericentric, telomeric and intercalary heterochromatin of Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes

Igor F. Zhimulev*, Elena S. Belyaeva, Valerii F. Semeshin, Victor V. Shloma, Igor V. Makunin and Elena I. Volkova

Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Division of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: zhimulev{at}bionet.nsc.ru)

Accepted 27 September 2002

The SuUR (suppressor of underreplication) gene controls late replication and underreplication of DNA in Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes: its mutation suppresses DNA underreplication whereas additional doses of the normal allele strongly enhances underreplication. The SuUR protein is localized in late replicating and underreplicating regions. The N-terminal part of the SuUR protein shares modest similarity with the ATPase/helicase domain of SWI2/SNF2 chromatin remodeling factors, suggesting a role in modification of chromatin structure.

Here we describe novel structural modifications of polytene chromosomes (swellings) and show that SuUR controls chromatin organization in polytene chromosomes. The swellings develop as the result of SuUR ectopic expression in the transgene system Sgs3-GAL4; UAS-SuUR+. They are reminiscent of chromosome puffs and appear in ~190 regions of intercalary, pericentric and telomeric heterochromatin; some of them attain tremendous size. The swellings are temperature sensitive: they are maximal at 29°C and are barely visible at 18°C. Shifting from 29°C to 18°C results in the complete recovery of the normal structure of chromosomes. The swellings are transcriptionally inactive, since they do not incorporate [3H]uridine. The SuUR protein is not visualized in regions of maximally developed swellings. Regular ecdysone-inducible puffs are not induced in cells where these swellings are apparent.

Key words: SuUR gene, Heterochromatin, Silencing, Polytene chromosomes, Drosophila




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