title: A Drosophila melanogaster homologue of the human DEAD-box gene DDX1.
abstract: DEAD-box genes are found throughout evolution and encode RNA-binding proteins. Such proteins include eukaryotic initiation factor-4A, which is essential for protein translation, Vasa, which is essential for germ line development, and a number of nuclear and mitochondrial RNA splicing factors. Transcription of a human DEAD-box gene, DDX1, is elevated in two retinoblastoma cell lines as a result of amplification of the immediate chromosomal region surrounding it, suggesting an important role for this gene in control of cell growth and division. We have isolated a Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) homologue (Ddx1) of DDX1 which is strikingly similar to the human gene. The similarity (58.3% amino acid (aa) identity over 720 aa) extends beyond regions conserved in all DEAD-box proteins and covers the entire lengths of the proteins. The 2.7-kb Dm Ddx1 RNA is expressed throughout development, but its levels are elevated in early embryos. Ddx1 maps to polytene chromosome band 79D4 on the left arm of Dm chromosome 3.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Internazionale di Genetica e Biofisica (IIGB), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rafti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scarvelis
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Lasko
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020365:RNA Helicases; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C490120:Ddx1 protein, Drosophila; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases; C086252:DDX1 protein, human; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D020365:RNA Helicases