title: The Drosophila pumilio gene: an unusually long transcription unit and an unusual protein.
abstract: Specification of the posterior body plan in Drosophila requires the action of a determinant prelocalized to the posterior pole of the embryo. During embryogenesis this determinant appears to move anteriorly in a process dependent on the pumilio (pum) gene. This report describes the cloning and molecular characterization of a cDNA derived from the pum gene, and the analysis of pum mRNA and protein expression during early Drosophila development. The pum gene is unusually large; comparison of genomic and cDNA sequences reveals that the pum transcription unit is at least 160 kb in length. The pum cDNA encodes a 157 x 10(3) M(r) protein which consists mainly of regions enriched in a single amino acid, usually glycine, alanine, glutamine or serine/threonine. Six tandem repeats of a 36 amino acid repeat unit are also present. Pum protein is cytoplasmic and is concentrated in a subcortical region of the embryo. The distribution of pum protein exhibits no asymmetry along the anteroposterior axis of the embryo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Macdonald
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000737:chemistry*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C074333:pum protein, Drosophila