Title

A histone variant, H2AvD, is essential in Drosophila melanogaster

Authors

Angela van Daal, Washington University in St. Louis
Sarah C.R. Elgin, Washington University in St. LouisFollow

Author's School

Arts & Sciences

Author's Department

Biology

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1992

Originally Published In

van Daal A, Elgin SC. A histone variant, H2AvD, is essential in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Biol Cell. 1992;3(6):593–602. doi:10.1091/mbc.3.6.593

Abstract

H2AvD, a Drosophila melanogaster histone variant of the H2A.Z class, is encoded by a single copy gene in the 97CD region of the polytene chromosomes. Northern analysis shows that the transcript is expressed in adult females and is abundant throughout the first 12 h of embryogenesis but then decreases. The H2AvD protein is present at essentially constant levels in all developmental stages. Using D. melanogaster stocks with deletions in the 97CD region, we have localized the H2AvD gene to the 97D1-9 interval. A lethal mutation in this interval, l(3)810, exhibits a 311-base pair deletion in the H2AvD gene, which removes the second exon. P-element mediated transformation using a 4.1-kilobase fragment containing the H2AvD gene rescues the lethal phenotype. H2AvD is therefore both essential and continuously present, suggesting a requirement for its utilization, either to provide an alternative capability for nucleosome assembly or to generate an alternative nucleosome structure.

Comments

©1992 by The American Society for Cell Biology

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5176-2510 [Elgin]

Recommended Citation

van Daal, Angela and Elgin, Sarah C.R., "A histone variant, H2AvD, is essential in Drosophila melanogaster" (1992). Biology Faculty Publications & Presentations. 220.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/bio_facpubs/220