Complex interference in the eye developmental pathway by Drosophila NF-YA

The CCAAT motif-binding factor NF-Y consists of three different subunits, NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC, all of which are required for formation of the NF-Y complex and DNA-binding. NF-YA contains a DNA binding domain in its C-terminal region. We established transgenic fly lines carrying the UAS-HA-dNF-YA or UAS-dNF-YAIR and showed over-expression or knockdown with various GAL4 drivers to be lethal at various developmental stages, suggesting that dNF-YA participate in various gene regulatory pathways during Drosophila development. Expression of dNF-YA with eyeless-GAL4 mainly resulted in lethality with a headless phenotype in pharate-adults. Reduction of the eyeless gene dose enhanced the dNF-YA-induced phenotype, while reduction of the Distal-less gene dose suppressed the phenotype. On the other hand, crossing the dNF-YA over-expressing flies with Notch mutant resulted in no apparent effect on the phenotype. These results suggest that dNF-YA can disturb eye disc specification, but not eye disc growth.