Expression of a Bombyx cytoplasmic actin gene in cultured Drosophila cells: Influence of 20-hydroxyecdysone and interference with expression of endogenous cytoplasmic actin genes

• Published in: Insect biochemistry and molecular biology Vol. 23; no. 8; pp. 905 - 912
• Main Authors: Abraham, E.G., Mounier, N., Bosquet, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1993; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: 20-Hydroxyecdysone; Actins - biosynthesis; Actins - genetics; Animals; Base Sequence; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Bombyx; Bombyx - genetics; Cell Compartmentation; Cells, Cultured; Consensus Sequence; Cytoplasm - metabolism; Cytoplasmic actin gene; Drosophila - cytology; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila S2 cells; Ecdysterone - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Genes, Insect; Genetic Vectors; Genome; Insecta; Invertebrates; Molecular Sequence Data; Physiology. Development; Proteins - analysis; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Transfection; Drosophila S2 cells; 20-Hydroxyecdysone; Cytoplasmic actin gene; Bombyx; Transfection; Arthropoda; Insecta; Drosophila; Contractile protein; Actins; β-Ecdysone; Invertebrata; Gene expression; Diptera; Cytoplasm; Drosophilidae
• ISSN: 0965-1748; 1879-0240
• DOI: 10.1016/0965-1748(93)90107-4

The expression of the Bombyx cytoplasmic actin A3 gene and its response to 20-hydroxyecdysone are studied after transfection in hormone responsive Drosophila cells and are compared to the expression of homologous resident genes. The host cells accumulate correct transcripts of the Bombyx gene in a gene dosage dependent way. The relative amount of endogenous cytoplasmic actin mRNAs is decreased in transfected cells, whether the transgene is integrated into the genome or not. When 20-hydroxyecdysone is added to the culture medium, the accumulation of the foreign mRNA is decreased whereas those of endogenous cytoplasmic actin transcripts are increased. These results are discussed in terms of competition for transcription and regulatory factors.