Transvection between nonallelic genomic positions in Drosophila

Abstract

In Drosophila, pairing of maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes can permit trans-interactions between enhancers on one homolog and promoters on another, an example of transvection. Although trans-interactions have been observed at many loci in the Drosophila genome and in other organisms, the parameters that govern enhancer action in trans remain poorly understood. Using a transgenic reporter system, we asked whether enhancers and promoters at nonallelic, but nearby, genomic positions can communication in trans. Using one transgenic insertion carrying the synthetic enhancer GMR and another nearby insertion carrying the hsp70 promoter driving a fluorescent reporter, we show that transgenes separated by 2.6 kb of linear distance can support enhancer action in trans at the 53F8 locus. Furthermore, transvection between the nonallelic insertions can be augmented by a small deletion flanking one insert, likely via changes to the paired configuration of the homologs. Subsequent analyses of other insertions in 53F8 that carry different transgenic sequences demonstrate that the capacity to support transvection between nonallelic sites varies greatly, suggesting that factors beyond the linear distance between insertion sites play an important role. Finally, analysis of transvection between nearby nonallelic sites at other genomic locations shows evidence of position effects, where one locus supported GMR action in trans over a linear distance of over 10 kb, whereas another locus showed no evidence of transvection over a span <200 bp. Overall, our data demonstrate that transvection between nonallelic sites represents a complex interplay between genomic context, interallelic distance, and promoter identity.

Keywords: chromatin; long-range enhancer; position effects; promoter; somatic homolog pairing; transvection.