title: The necrotic gene in Drosophila corresponds to one of a cluster of three serpin transcripts mapping at 43A1.2.
abstract: Mutants of the necrotic (nec) gene in Drosophila melanogaster die in the late pupal stage as pharate adults, or hatch as weak, but relatively normal-looking, flies. Adults develop black melanized spots on the body and leg joints, the abdomen swells with hemolymph, and flies die within 3 or 4 days of eclosion. The TOLL-mediated immune response to fungal infections is constitutively activated in nec mutants and pleiotropic phenotypes include melanization and cellular necrosis. These changes are consistent with activation of one or more proteolytic cascades. The nec gene corresponds to Spn43Ac, one of a cluster of three putative serine proteinase inhibitors at 43A1.2, on the right arm of chromosome 2. Although serpins have been implicated in the activation of many diverse pathways, lack of an individual serpin rarely causes a detectable phenotype. Absence of Spn43Ac, however, gives a clear phenotype, which will allow a mutational analysis of critical features of the molecular structure of serpins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, England.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Levashina
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McKimmie
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dafforn
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Reichhart
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gubb
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009336:Necrosis; D010641:Phenotype; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011679:Pupa; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015843:Serpins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015843:Serpins; C417282:nec protein, Drosophila