title: Genetic and molecular analysis of smooth, a quantitative trait locus affecting bristle number in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: A semi-lethal, sterile allele of the smooth locus (2-91.5), sm3, was discovered in an artificial selection line for low abdominal bristle number that had been started from a P-M dysgenic cross. The fitness effects and extremely low bristle number phenotype of the allele could not be separated by recombination from a P-element insertion at cytological location 56E, and precise excision of the P-element at this site was associated with reversion to wild type. The smooth gene was cloned using the P-element insertion as a tag. The gene encodes a 2.6-kb transcript derived from 10 exons and covers a genomic region of at least 80 kb. The Drosophila smooth gene shares substantial sequence identity with a group of RNA binding proteins, with the closest relationship being to the human heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L gene. The smooth gene is by definition an abdominal bristle number quantitative trait locus, but further work is required to discern whether naturally occurring allelic variation at this locus is a source of genetic variation for abdominal bristle number in natural populations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. ebmo56@taitoo.ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: zur Lage
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Shrimpton
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Flavell
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000254:growth & development; D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010641:Phenotype; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C491023:SMO protein, human; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; C100664:smo protein, Drosophila