title: Identification of a new member of transforming growth factor-beta superfamily in Drosophila: the first invertebrate activin gene.
abstract: Activins, a subgroup of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily, have been extensively studied in vertebrates for their roles in growth and development. However, activins are not thought to be expressed in invertebrates. The identification of the first invertebrate activin gene is reported here. A genomic clone representing 102 F region of the Drosophila chromosome 4 is found to encode a putative activin beta. The predicted protein sequence has a multibasic protease site that would generate a mature C-terminal peptide containing 113 amino acids showing > 60% similarity to the vertebrate activin beta B (inhibin beta B) sequences. A TGF-beta family signature as well as all 9 cysteine residues conserved in the vertebrate activins are also present in this mature peptide sequence. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses indicated that the activin beta gene is expressed in embryo, larva and adult stages of Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Retinal Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2740, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kutty
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kutty
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaworski
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiggert
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000235:genetics*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C043076:beta-microseminoprotein; D007265:Inhibins