A Drosophila metabolic gene transcript is alternatively processed.
We have determined the organization and transcription of a Drosophila DNA segment coding for the purine pathway enzyme, GAR transformylase. Because the transcript encoding this enzyme is very rare, we used a novel method for exon mapping without isolating a cDNA. Our results suggest a long polypeptide having multiple domains, with GAR transformylase at the COOH terminus preceded by an extensive repeat. Part of the same DNA segment specifies a shorter transcript, which consists of the same 5' exons but lacks the last three 3' exons. A polyadenylation signal within an intron allows this single gene to encode two polypeptides. We hypothesize that alternative processing of a transcript is a basis for channeling metabolic intermediates into two different pathways.
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D019877:Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases; D051026:Phosphoribosylglycinamide Formyltransferase; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D004247:DNA; D019877:Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases; D051026:Phosphoribosylglycinamide Formyltransferase; D000217:Acyltransferases