SPECIFIC INDUCTION OF THE HSR-OMEGA LOCUS OF DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER BY AMIDES

We report here that 3-aminobenzamide and other amides, such as formami de, acetamide and nicotinamide, specifically induce a high rate of tra nscription at the 93D puff (the hsr omega heat shock gene) in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster. Other chemicals, such as benz amide, colchicine, thiamphenicol and paracetamol, that are already kno wn to specifically induce transcription at the hsr omega locus are als o identified as amides. In view of the specific induction of the 93D p uff by different amides and other data that demonstrate hsr omega tran scription in response to benzamide and colchicine etc. to be independe nt of its heat shock induction, it appears likely that amides induce t his locus through distinct regulatory elements that we propose to desi gnate amide response elements (AREs).