The SR protein B52/SRp55 is essential for Drosophila development.
B52, also called SRp55, is a 52-kDa member of the Drosophila SR protein family of general splicing factors. Escherichia coli-produced B52 is capable of both activating splicing and affecting the alternative splice site choice in human in vitro splicing reactions. Here we report the isolation of a B52 null mutant generated by remobilizing a P element residing near the B52 gene. The resulting deletion, B52(28), is confined to the B52 gene and its neighbor the Hrb87F gene. Second-instar larvae homozygous for the deletion are deficient in both B52 mRNA and protein. The B52 null mutant is lethal at the first- and second-instar larval stages. Germ line transformation of Drosophila flies with B52 genomic DNA rescues this lethality. Thus, B52 is an essential gene and has a critical role in Drosophila development. Larvae deficient in B52 are still capable of splicing the five endogenous pre-mRNAs tested here, including both constitutively and alternatively spliced genes. Therefore, B52 is not required for all splicing in vivo. This is the first in vivo deficiency analysis of a member of the SR protein family.
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Section of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
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D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010641:Phenotype; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000235:genetics; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C489470:SRSF6 protein, human; C070791:B52 protein, Drosophila; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors