Roles of cis-acting elements and chromatin structure inDrosophilaalcohol dehydrogenase gene expression

Abstract
The alcohol dehydrogensse (Adh) gene of D. melanogaster is transcribed from two different promoters during fly development: the distal (adult) and the proximal (embryonic-larval). Certain aspects of Adh hene regulation are represented in Drosophils continuous cell lines. We have used Drosophils tissue culture cells in an in vivo transient expression essay to delimit cis-acting sequences affecting Adh expression , and to investigate the role of chromatin structure in the distal promoter can exist in at least 2 alternative chromatin configurations. There is a close correlation between specific transcriptional activity of the Adh distal promoter and defined, localized chromatin structural change that indicates altered DNA - Protein inteeractions. Thus, chromatin structure appears to play a role in regulatory sequences of Adh to transcription factors and the transcription machinery.