The BEAF-32 insulator coordinates genome organization and function during the evolution of Drosophila species
- ↵* Corresponding author; email: vcorces{at}emory.edu
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between genome organization and expression is central to understanding genome function. Closely apposed genes in a head-to-head orientation share the same upstream region and are likely to be co-regulated. Here we identify the Drosophila BEAF-32 insulator as a cis regulatory element separating close head-to-head genes with different transcription regulation modes. We then compare the binding landscapes of the BEAF-32 insulator protein in four different Drosophila genomes and highlight the evolutionarily conserved presence of this protein between close adjacent genes. We find that changes in binding of BEAF-32 to sites in the genome of different Drosophila species correlate with alterations in genome organization caused by DNA re-arrangements or genome size expansion. The cross talk between BEAF-32 genomic distribution and genome organization contributes to new gene expression profiles, which in turn translate into specific and distinct phenotypes. The results suggest a mechanism for the establishment of differences in transcription patterns during evolution.
- Received April 21, 2012.
- Accepted August 14, 2012.
- © 2012, Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
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