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Drosophila melanogaster kl-3 and kl-5 Y-loops harbor triple-stranded nucleic acids.

Abstract
Primary spermatocyte nuclei of Drosophila melanogaster contain three prominent lampbrush-like loops. The development of these structures has been associated with the transcription of three fertility factors located on the Y chromosome, named kl-5, kl-3 and ks-1. These loci have huge physical dimensions and contain extremely long introns. In addition, kl-3 and kl-5 were shown to encode two putative dynein subunits required for the correct assembly of the sperm axoneme. Here, we show that both the kl-5 and kl-3 loops are intensely decorated by monoclonal antibodies recognizing triple-stranded nucleic acids, and that each loop presents a peculiar molecular organization of triplex structures. Moreover, immunostaining of Drosophila hydei primary spermatocytes revealed that also in this species - which diverged from D. melanogaster 58 million years ago - Y-loops are decorated by anti-triplex antibodies, strongly suggesting a conserved role of loop-associated triplexes. Finally, we showed that in D. melanogaster wild-type lines that are raised at the non-permissive temperature of 31+/-0.5 degrees C (which is known to induce male sterility in flies) both the triplex immunostaining and the axonemal dynein heavy chains encoded by kl-3 and kl-5 are no longer detectable, which suggests a functional correlation between loop-associated triplexes, the presence of axonemal proteins and male fertility in fly.
AuthorsRoberto Piergentili, Caterina Mencarelli
JournalJournal of cell science (J Cell Sci) Vol. 121 Issue Pt 10 Pg. 1605-12 (May 15 2008) ISSN: 0021-9533 [Print] England
PMID18430782 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Chemical References
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • triplex DNA
  • DNA
  • Dyneins
Topics
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus (chemistry, genetics)
  • DNA (chemistry)
  • Drosophila Proteins (chemistry)
  • Drosophila melanogaster (chemistry, cytology, genetics)
  • Dyneins (chemistry)
  • Introns
  • Male
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Spermatocytes (chemistry, ultrastructure)
  • Y Chromosome (genetics)

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