Multiple proteins are produced from the dec-1 eggshell gene in Drosophila by alternative RNA splicing and proteolytic cleavage events.
The defective chorion-1 gene (dec-1) in Drosophila encodes follicle cell proteins necessary for proper eggshell assembly. A distinctive feature of the gene is the production of multiple products by both alternative RNA splicing and proteolytic processing events. DNA and protein sequencing studies have revealed several dec-1 protein products. The predominant translation product, fc106, has a vitelline membrane-like N-terminal domain followed by a glutamine, methionine-rich central region, largely in the form of 26 amino acid repeats. During late stage 10 the N-terminal portion of fc106 is cleaved, yielding s80, a major eggshell protein. Conceptual translation of the DNA sequence as well as molecular analyses of several dec-1 mutants suggest that the less abundant alternatively spliced RNAs encode primary translation products with different carboxy terminal ends. These results are discussed with respect to previous genetic analyses of dec-1 mutants as well as with respect to potential protein-protein interactions which may underlie stabilization of this complex extracellular structure.
Biology Department, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233.
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Waring
R J
RJ
Hawley
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Schoenfeld
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010450:Endopeptidases; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; C066329:dec-1 protein, Drosophila; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D010450:Endopeptidases