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Dot Blot Assay for Detecting Global N6-Methyladenosine RNA Modification Levels

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abd-A regulation by the iab-8 noncoding RNA.

Maheshwar Gummalla¹, Robert K Maeda, Javier J Castro Alvarez

¹Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

|June 2, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

In Drosophila, a noncoding RNA called iab-8 RNA represses the abdominal-A (abd-A) gene in the nervous system. This RNA uses both microRNA and cis-acting transcriptional interference for repression.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Genetics
Molecular Biology

Background:

Homeotic genes in Drosophila melanogaster are chromosomally organized according to body segment.
Posterior genes typically repress anterior genes, a phenomenon known as posterior dominance.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the repression mechanism of the abdominal-A (abd-A) gene by Abdominal-B (Abd-B) in the Drosophila central nervous system.
To elucidate the role of noncoding RNA in regulating homeotic gene expression.

Main Methods:

Analysis of Drosophila melanogaster mutants lacking Abdominal-B (Abd-B).
Identification and characterization of a 92 kb noncoding RNA (iab-8 RNA).
Investigation of microRNA production and cis-acting regulatory mechanisms.

Main Results:

Absence of Abd-B leads to ectopic abd-A expression in the epidermis but not the central nervous system.
A 92 kb noncoding RNA (iab-8 RNA) is responsible for repressing abd-A in neuronal cells.
iab-8 RNA employs both a microRNA-dependent and a cis-acting transcriptional interference mechanism for abd-A repression.

Conclusions:

Repression of abd-A in the Drosophila central nervous system is mediated by iab-8 RNA.
iab-8 RNA utilizes redundant mechanisms, including microRNA and transcriptional interference, for gene regulation.
Transcriptional interference is the likely primary mechanism for cis-acting repression of the abd-A promoter.