Gene regulation in Drosophila spermatogenesis: analysis of protein binding at the translational control element TCE

We have previously identified a 12 nucleotide long sequence element, the TCE, that was demonstrated to be necessary for translational control of expression in the male germ line of Drosophila melanogaster (Schäfer et al., 1990). It is conserved among all seven members of the Mst(3)CGP gene family, that encode structural proteins of the sperm tail. The TCE is invariably located in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) at position +28 relative to the transcription start site. In this paper we analyse the mode of action of this element. We show that protein binding occurs at the TCE after incubation with testis protein extracts from Drosophila melanogaster. While several proteins are associated with the translational control element in the RNA, only one of these proteins directly crosslinks to the sequence element. The binding activity is exclusively observed with testis protein extracts but can be demonstrated with testis extracts from other Drosophila species as well, indicating that regulatory proteins involved in translational regulation in the male germ line are conserved. Although binding to the TCE can occur independent of its position relative to the transcription start site of the in vitro transcripts, its function in vivo is not exerted when shifted further downstream within the 5' UTR of a fusion gene. In addition to being a translational control element the TCE also functions as a transcriptional regulator. Consequently, a DNA-protein complex is also formed at the TCE. In contrast to the RNA-protein complexes we find DNA-protein complexes with protein extracts of several tissues of Drosophila melanogaster.