Genomic organization and transcription of the alpha beta heat shock DNA in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that (i) several RNAs induced by heat shock of Drosophila melanogaster cells are homologous to tandemly repeated alpha beta units found in cloned segments of D. melanogaster DNA, and (ii) the alpha beta sequences are present both at a major heat shock locus, 87Cl, and the chromocenter of polytene chromosomes (Lis, J.T., Prestidge, L. and Hogness, D.S. [1978] Cell 14, 901-919). We have used deficiencies that delete DNA from the 87C region to examine the arrangement of alpha beta sequences at this locus and in the centromeric heterochromatin that comprises the chromocenter, and also to determine the chromosomal location of the induced transcription. The tandemly repeated alpha beta units are restricted to the 87C locus. In contrast, the chromocentral alpha beta sequences do not form intact alpha beta units, and are dispersed at heterochromatic sites in some other form. Although only half of the alpha beta DNA is at the 87C locus, essentially all alpha beta transcripts (greater than 99.5%) are derived from this locus.