title: Cloning and characterization of peter pan, a novel Drosophila gene required for larval growth.
abstract: We identified a new Drosophila gene, peter pan (ppan), in a screen for larval growth-defective mutants. ppan mutant larvae do not grow and show minimal DNA replication but can survive until well after their heterozygotic siblings have pupariated. We cloned the ppan gene by P-element plasmid rescue. ppan belongs to a highly conserved gene family that includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSF1 and SSF2, as well as Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Arabidopsis, Caenorhabditis elegans, mouse, and human homologues. Deletion of both SSF1 and SSF2 in yeast is lethal, and depletion of the gene products causes cell division arrest. Mosaic analysis of ppan mutant clones in Drosophila imaginal disks and ovaries demonstrates that ppan is cell autonomous and required for normal mitotic growth but is not absolutely required for general biosynthesis or DNA replication. Overexpression of the wild-type gene causes cell death and disrupts the normal development of adult structures. The ppan gene family appears to have an essential and evolutionarily conserved role in cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Migeon
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Garfinkel
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Edgar
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004261:DNA Replication; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016153:Genes, Suppressor; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D019476:Insect Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C491917:PPAN protein, human; C114037:SSF1 protein, S cerevisiae; C491918:SSF2 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C120177:ppan protein, Drosophila