Conserved and variable repeat structures in the Balbiani ring gene family in Chironomus tentans

Transcription regulation during stable elongation by a reversible halt of RNA polymerase II

Transcription regulation models focus on initiation or termination. Transcription can also be halted gene specifically during stable elongation by a heat shock, and the transcription halt can be resumed later under permissive conditions. Thus cells have much wider access to control transcription than is covered by existing models.

Regulation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) during transcription is essential for controlling gene expression. Here we report that the transcriptional activity of RNAPII at the Balbiani ring 2.1 gene could be halted during stable elongation in salivary gland cells of Chironomus tentans larvae for extended time periods in a regulated manner. The transcription halt was triggered by heat shock and affected all RNAPII independently of their position in the gene. During the halt, incomplete transcripts and RNAPII remained at the transcription site, the phosphorylation state of RNAPII was unaltered, and the transcription bubbles remained open. The transcription of halted transcripts was resumed upon relief of the heat shock. The observed mechanism allows cells to interrupt transcription for extended time periods and rapidly reactivate it without the need to reinitiate transcription of the complete gene. Our results suggest a so-far-unknown level of transcriptional control in eukaryotic cells.

High molecular mass complexes of aquatic silk proteins

Little is known about specific protein protein associations that take place during formation of Chironomus tentans silk. The aim of this study was to learn if C. tentans salivary glands contain biochemically discrete silk protein complexes. Examination of native extracts by non-denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting revealed two SDS-resistant complexes: C1a, nominally containing silk proteins spIa, sp185 and sp140, and C1b, containing spIb, sp185 and sp140. The data also implied that C1a and C1b can further associate into SDS-sensitive homo- or hetero-oligomers. Sedimentation of extracts in preparative glycerol gradients resulted in a heterogeneous distribution of C1a and C1b centered near 30S. Examination of gradient fractions by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting indicated that C1a and C1b co-sediment with spIs, sp185, and sp140; however, these fractions also contained sp40, sp17 and sp12. In contrast, two other silk proteins sedimented throughout the gradient. Electron micrographs of a complex-containing fraction showed discrete, sometimes oligomeric lattice-like structures that, over time, assembled in vitro into multistranded beaded fibers. It is proposed that C1a and C1b are quaternary structures that are intermediates in the assembly pathway of C. tentans silk.

Transcription of heat shock gene loci versus non-heat shock loci in Chironomus polytene chromosomes: evidence for heat-induced formation of novel putative ribonucleoprotein particles (hsRNPs) in the major heat shock puffs

The heat shock response of Chironomus polytene chromosomes was reexamined. The in vivo effects of heat shock on chromosomal [3H]uridine labeling, RNA polymerase II distribution and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) formation were investigated. One primary result is a clarification of the number and location of chromosomal sites strongly induced by treatment at 37 degrees C for 60 min. In total, seven major heat shock loci were identified by transcription autoradiography in Chironomus tentans: I-20A, II-16B, II-10C, II-4B, II-1C, III-12B, and IV-5C. Secondly, combining immunofluorescence with transcription autoradiography, I find RNA polymerase II occurring after heat shock at multiple chromosomal sites that were also active under normal conditions (20 degrees C). Furthermore, the results demonstrate conclusively that the presence of RNA polymerase II at heat shock and non-heat shock loci is generally correlated with [3H]uridine labeling during heat shock. These latter results extend and corroborate previous findings. Thirdly, the most striking result of this study was revealed in ultrathin sections of puffs by electron microscopy: I discerned a site-specific ultrastructural difference in putative RNP particles between heat shock versus non-heat shock loci. At least three of the seven induced major heat shock puffs (I-20A, III-12B, IV-5C) were observed to contain globular particles that were different, i.e. significantly larger, 250-1,000 A in diameter with a prominent 500-750 A class, than RNP particles of other loci under non-heat shock conditions. These large heat shock puff particles presumably represent nascent or newly synthesized heat shock RNA associated with protein(s) to form heat shock RNPs (hsRNPs). This finding suggests the possible involvement of novel RNPs (hsRNPs) in transcriptional regulation or heat shock RNA turnover and may stimulate further molecular investigations on this subject in both cell physiological and structural terms. I conclude that the locus-specific putative hsRNPs are an intrinsic property of greatly increased heat shock gene transcription.

Structure of the smallest salivary-gland secretory protein gene in Chironomus tentans

The salivary gland secretion in the dipteran Chironomus tentans is composed of approximately 15 different secretory proteins. The most well known of the corresponding genes are the four closely related Balbiani ring (BR) genes, in which the main part of each approximately 40-kb gene is composed of tandemly arranged repetitive units. Six of the seven additional secretory protein genes described share structural similarities with the BR genes and are members of the same BR multigene family. Here we report the identification of a new secretory protein gene, the sp12 gene, encoding the smallest component of the C. tentans salivary gland secretion. The gene has a corresponding mRNA length of approximately 0.7 kb and codes for a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 7,619 Da. The sp12 gene was characterized in seven Chironomus species. Based on a comparison of the orthologous gene sequences, we conclude that the sp12 gene has a repetitive structure consisting of diverged 21-bp-long repeats. The repeat structure and the codon composition are similar to the so-called SR regions of the BR genes and the sp12 gene may represent a diverged member of the BR multigene family.

A new member of the balbiani ring multigene family in the dipteran Chironomus tentans consists of a single-copy version of a unit repeated in other gene family members

The known Balbiani ring (BR) multigene family members in the dipteran Chironomus tentans encode salivary gland secretory proteins in the size range between 38 and 1,000 kDa. The proteins interact to form protein fibers used by the aquatic larvae to spin feeding and protective larval tubes or pupation tubes. Here, we describe a new BR multigene family member, the sp17 gene, which codes for an 89-amino-acid-long protein with a relative mobility of 17k. The gene has a high content of charged amino acid residues and consists of two structurally different halves. Five regularly spaced cysteine codons are present in the 5' half while the 3' half contains five proline codons. These two different halves exhibit similarities to the C and SR regions, respectively, which form the tandemly repeated units in the about 40-kb-long BR genes and which also, in different versions, are the building blocks of all genes in the BR multigene family. In this multigene family, encoding interacting structural proteins, the long BR genes with their 125-150 tandemly arranged repeat units as well as the short sp17 gene with its single-copy version of such a repeat unit, have therefore evolved from a common ancestor.

Secretory proteins of Chironomus salivary glands: structural motifs and assembly characteristics of a novel biopolymer

Salivary glands of Chironomus synthesize a family of at least ten secretory proteins that can be grouped into three size classes: the large (about 1000 kDa), intermediate (100- to 200 kDa), and small (less than 100 kDa). After synthesis, secretory proteins undergo a dramatic transformation to form a novel biopolymer. Secretory proteins accumulate in the central lumen of the gland, forming dissociable complexes that appear as a network of smooth fibrils and multistranded beaded fibers. When secretory protein complexes are extruded through the secretory duct, the fibers become oriented in parallel arrays; when these parallel arrays of fibers emerge from the mouth of larvae they are an insoluble, silk-like thread. Regulation of secretory protein-coding gene expression determines which secretory proteins are synthesized, thus, the composition of silk threads. At least two types of threads are produced: larval silk is used to construct tubes for protective housing and assist with feeding; prepupal silk is used to construct tubes for larval/pupal ecdysis (pupation). Variations in composition presumably contribute to different mechanical properties of larval and prepupal silk threads. Since the macroscopic physical properties of polymerized silk most likely reflect the microscopic structure and interaction of secretory proteins, it becomes important to learn the principles which govern secretory protein assembly at the molecular level. Which secretory proteins interact and what are the sites used for intraportein and protein-protein interactions during the assembly of this biopolymer? All eight secretory proteins characterized thus far contain tandemly repeated peptide sequences (ranging from 14-90 amino acids in length) and/or a periodic distribution of Cys residues. These motifs appear to be unique; no other biopolymer has either the repeated peptide sequences or composite structure of chironomid silk threads. The evolutionary conservation of motifs within repeats and among different secretory proteins suggests that the sequences and three-dimensional structures of the motifs may be important for assembly of secretory proteins into complexes, oriented fibers, and silk threads. Further study of secretory protein assembly will bring us closer to understanding how this silk assembles in vivo. By learning principles that nature employs to construct such a novel composite biopolymer, it may become feasible to design and produce new classes of fibers or biomolecular materials with distinctive properties that are currently unavailable.