TISSUE-SPECIFIC REGULATORY ELEMENTS OF THE DROSOPHILA-GLD GENE

Putative cis-acting regulatory elements immediately upstream of the Gl d promoter were identified by comparative analysis of three Drosophila species. A 509 bp region containing these elements and the Gld promot er region was shown to confer tissue-specific regulation to a reporter gene similar to the pattern observed for Gld mRNA and protein. A disp ersed repeat with a core motif of TTAGA was also capable of directing the expression of a reporter gene to several epidermally derived tissu es in which GLD is normally expressed. These tissues include male and female somatic reproductive organs. The TTAGA elements and a palindrom ic element act antagonistically to block expression of reporter gene i n some tissues. Previously reported mutations of the heat shock respon se element resulted in the creation of three TTAGA elements. This muta ted hsp70 promoter directs expression of a reporter gene to many of th e same tissues as does the Gld TTAGA elements. We have found TTAGA ele ments near the promoter of two other genes which show an identical exp ression pattern in the male ejaculatory duct as Gld and the mutant hsp 70.