P-Element insertion at the polyhomeotic gene leads to formation of a novel chimeric protein that negatively regulates yellow gene expression in P-element-induced alleles of Drosophila melanogaster

Polyhomeotic is a member of the Polycomb group (Pc-G) of homeotic repressors. The proteins encoded by the Pc-G genes form repressive complexes on the polycomb group response element sites. The phP1 mutation was induced by insertion of a 1.2-kb P element into the 5' transcribed nontranslated region of the proximal polyhomeotic gene. The phP1 allele confers no mutant phenotype, but represses transcription of P-element-induced alleles at the yellow locus. The phP1 allele encodes a chimeric P-PH protein, consisting of the DNA-binding domain of the P element and the PH protein lacking 12 amino-terminal amino acids. The P-PH, Polycomb (PC), and Posterior sex combs (PSC) proteins were immunohistochemically detected on polytene chromosomes in the regions of P-element insertions.