Delimiting regulatory sequences of the Drosophila melanogaster Ddc gene

Crystal structure and substrate specificity of Drosophila 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase

Background

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase (DDC), also known as aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, catalyzes the decarboxylation of a number of aromatic L-amino acids. Physiologically, DDC is responsible for the production of dopamine and serotonin through the decarboxylation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, respectively. In insects, both dopamine and serotonin serve as classical neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones, and dopamine is also involved in insect cuticle formation, eggshell hardening, and immune responses.

Principal Findings

In this study, we expressed a typical DDC enzyme from Drosophila melanogaster, critically analyzed its substrate specificity and biochemical properties, determined its crystal structure at 1.75 Angstrom resolution, and evaluated the roles residues T82 and H192 play in substrate binding and enzyme catalysis through site-directed mutagenesis of the enzyme. Our results establish that this DDC functions exclusively on the production of dopamine and serotonin, with no activity to tyrosine or tryptophan and catalyzes the formation of serotonin more efficiently than dopamine.

Conclusions

The crystal structure of Drosophila DDC and the site-directed mutagenesis study of the enzyme demonstrate that T82 is involved in substrate binding and that H192 is used not only for substrate interaction, but for cofactor binding of drDDC as well. Through comparative analysis, the results also provide insight into the structure-function relationship of other insect DDC-like proteins.

Repression and activation of the Drosophila dopa decarboxylase gene in glia

Glial expression of the Drosophila dopa decarboxylase gene (Ddc) is repressed by a regulatory region located approximately 1 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site. We have used in vitro mutagenesis and germ line transformation to determine which elements within the Ddc promoter mediate repression. Our evidence suggests that the hypodermal cell activator elements IIA and IIB play a major role in the transcriptional regulation of Ddc in glial cells. A variety of mutations demonstrate that element IIA is a strong glial activator element and that element IIB is necessary for glial repression. Although these two regulatory elements are nearly identical in sequence, our data suggest that they are not redundant. Altering the wild-type number and spacing of elements IIA and IIB indicates that the wild-type arrangement of this repeat is critical for repression. We conclude that these key elements of the Ddc promoter regulate both activation and repression in glia.

Repression and activation of the Drosophila dopa decarboxylase gene in glia

Glial expression of the Drosophila dopa decarboxylase gene (Ddc) is repressed by a regulatory region located approximately 1 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site. We have used in vitro mutagenesis and germ line transformation to determine which elements within the Ddc promoter mediate repression. Our evidence suggests that the hypodermal cell activator elements IIA and IIB play a major role in the transcriptional regulation of Ddc in glial cells. A variety of mutations demonstrate that element IIA is a strong glial activator element and that element IIB is necessary for glial repression. Although these two regulatory elements are nearly identical in sequence, our data suggest that they are not redundant. Altering the wild-type number and spacing of elements IIA and IIB indicates that the wild-type arrangement of this repeat is critical for repression. We conclude that these key elements of the Ddc promoter regulate both activation and repression in glia.

Heterochromatin protein 1, a known suppressor of position-effect variegation, is highly conserved in Drosophila

The Su(var)205 gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), a protein located preferentially within beta-heterochromatin. Mutation of this gene has been associated with dominant suppression of position-effect variegation. We have cloned and sequenced the gene encoding HP1 from Drosophila virilis, a distantly related species. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence with Drosophila melanogaster HP1 shows two regions of strong homology, one near the N-terminus (57/61 amino acids identical) and the other near the C-terminus (62/68 amino acids identical) of the protein. Little homology is seen in the 5' and 3' untranslated portions of the gene, as well as in the intronic sequences, although intron/exon boundaries are generally conserved. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of HP1-like proteins from other species shows that the cores of the N-terminal and C-terminal domains have been conserved from insects to mammals. The high degree of conservation suggests that these N- and C-terminal domains could interact with other macromolecules in the formation of the condensed structure of heterochromatin.

Molecular characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster urate oxidase gene, an ecdysone-repressible gene expressed only in the malpighian tubules

The urate oxidase (UO) gene of Drosophila melanogaster is expressed during the third-instar larval and adult stages, exclusively within a subset of cells of the Malpighian tubules. The UO gene contains a 69-base-pair intron and encodes mature mRNAs of 1,224, 1,227, and 1,244 nucleotides, depending on the site of 3' endonucleolytic cleavage prior to polyadenylation. A direct repeat, 5'-AAGTGAGAGTGAT-3', is the proposed cis-regulatory element involved in 20-hydroxyecdysone repression of the UO gene. The deduced amino acid sequences of UO of D. melanogaster, rat, mouse, and pig and uricase II of soybean show 32 to 38% identity, with 22% of amino acid residues identical in all species. With use of P-element-mediated germ line transformation, 826 base pairs 5' and approximately 1,200 base pairs 3' of the D. melanogaster UO transcribed region contain all of the cis elements allowing for appropriate temporal regulation and Malpighian tubule-specific expression of the UO gene.

Molecular characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster urate oxidase gene, an ecdysone-repressible gene expressed only in the malpighian tubules

The urate oxidase (UO) gene of Drosophila melanogaster is expressed during the third-instar larval and adult stages, exclusively within a subset of cells of the Malpighian tubules. The UO gene contains a 69-base-pair intron and encodes mature mRNAs of 1,224, 1,227, and 1,244 nucleotides, depending on the site of 3' endonucleolytic cleavage prior to polyadenylation. A direct repeat, 5'-AAGTGAGAGTGAT-3', is the proposed cis-regulatory element involved in 20-hydroxyecdysone repression of the UO gene. The deduced amino acid sequences of UO of D. melanogaster, rat, mouse, and pig and uricase II of soybean show 32 to 38% identity, with 22% of amino acid residues identical in all species. With use of P-element-mediated germ line transformation, 826 base pairs 5' and approximately 1,200 base pairs 3' of the D. melanogaster UO transcribed region contain all of the cis elements allowing for appropriate temporal regulation and Malpighian tubule-specific expression of the UO gene.