Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
11:00
Tissue Determination Using the Animal Cap Transplant (ACT) Assay in Xenopus laevis
Published on: May 16, 2010
Tantalus, a novel ASX-interacting protein with tissue-specific functions
B H Dietrich1, J Moore, M Kyba
1Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Charles H. Best Institute, 112 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L6, Canada.
Developmental Biology
|June 9, 2001
Summary
Tantalus (TAN) is a novel protein interacting with Additional sex combs (ASX). TAN acts as a tissue-specific cofactor for ASX, influencing gene regulation, with its activity potentially controlled by subcellular localization.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Genetics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Trithorax- (trxG) and Polycomb-group (PcG) proteins regulate gene transcription.
- Additional sex combs (ASX) is involved in both trxG and PcG complexes but has restricted target gene effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify novel proteins interacting with ASX.
- Characterize the function of Tantalus (TAN) as a potential tissue-specific cofactor for ASX.
Main Methods:
- Yeast two-hybrid screening to identify ASX-interacting proteins.
- In vitro DNA binding assays.
- Analysis of TAN subcellular localization in different tissues.
- Polytene chromosome mapping of TAN binding sites.
- Genetic analysis of tan mutant phenotypes and interactions with Asx.
Main Results:
- A novel protein, Tantalus (TAN), was identified as an ASX-interacting protein.
- TAN contains nuclear localization signals and binds DNA.
- TAN exhibits tissue-specific subcellular localization, predominantly nuclear in salivary glands.
- TAN associates with 66 euchromatic sites in salivary glands, overlapping with ASX at many loci, but distinct from homeotic gene targets.
- tan mutant defects are specific to sensory organs and are genetically enhanced by Asx.
Conclusions:
- TAN functions as a tissue-specific cofactor for ASX.
- TAN's activity may be regulated by its subcellular trafficking.
- TAN and ASX cooperate in regulating specific developmental processes, particularly in sensory organs.
Related Concept Videos
02:16Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
03:17Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying DNA...
02:39lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)...
01:45Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Tail-anchored, or TA, proteins are estimated to make up to 3-5% of membrane proteins found in the eukaryotic cell. Such proteins have a single transmembrane domain located approximately 30 amino acid residues upstream from the C-terminal end. As a result, the signal recognition particle (SRP) cannot guide a TA protein to the ER membrane for cotranslational insertion. Hence, they are integrated into the ER membrane post-translationally using their C-terminal end as the anchor. TA proteins...
01:30General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
01:23Catenins
Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...