UNR facilitates the interaction of MLE with the lncRNA roX2 during Drosophila dosage compensation

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5762
• Publication Date: 2014-08-27T11:00:39Z
• Authors: Cristina Militti; Sylvain Maenner; Peter B. Becker; Fátima Gebauer
• Keywords: Male; 0303 health sciences; X Chromosome; Base Sequence; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Molecular Sequence Data; DNA Helicases; RNA-Binding Proteins; [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]; DNA-Binding Proteins; 03 medical and health sciences; Drosophila melanogaster; Dosage Compensation, Genetic; Animals; Drosophila Proteins; Female; RNA, Long Noncoding; Transcription Factors

Dosage compensation is a regulatory process that balances the expression of X-chromosomal genes between males (XY) and females (XX). In Drosophila, this requires non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) whose specific functions remain elusive. Here we show that the Drosophila RBP UNR promotes the targeting of the activating male-specific-lethal complex to the X-chromosome by facilitating the interaction of two crucial subunits: the RNA helicase MLE and the long non-coding RNA roX2.