Chorion gene activation and repression is dependent on BmC/EBP expression and binding to cognate cis-elements.

Journal article

From the different cis-elements clustered on silkmoth chorion gene promoters, C/EBP binding sites predominate. Their sequence composition and dispersal vary amongst promoters of diverse developmental specificity. Occupancy of these sites by BmC/EBP was examined through Southwestern and ChIP assays modified to suit ovarian follicular cells. For the genes studied, binding of BmC/EBP coincided with the respective stages of transcriptional activation. However, the factor was reloaded on promoter sequences long after individual gene repression. Furthermore, suppression of BmC/EBP transcription in developing follicles resulted in de-regulation of chorion gene expression. A biphasic function of BmC/EBP, according to which it may act as both an activator and a repressor during silkmoth choriogenesis, is considered under the light of the presented data.

Authors: Papantonis, A; Sourmeli, S; Lecanidou, R

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications
• Volume: 369
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 905-909
• Publication date: 2008-05-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.02.113
• EISSN: 1090-2104
• ISSN: 0006-291X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Blotting, Southwestern; Chorion; Bombyx; Female; Insect Proteins; Animals; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Promoter Regions, Genetic; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Vitellogenesis; Base Sequence; Transcriptional Activation