Structure and expression of a novel gene family showing male germline specific expression in Drosophila melanogaster.
We report the characterization of two novel genes of Drosophila melanogaster, named mst36Fa and mst36Fb. They define a novel gene family, showing identical time and tissue-specificity limited to male germ cells where their transcription starts during meiotic prophase. These two genes encode for two slightly basic proteins highly homologous to each other and fairly rich in leucine and glutamic acid. Although strictly clustered, these genes utilize different promoter regions as revealed by examination of transgenic flies bearing mst36F-promoter-lacZ reporter constructs and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays. Our data suggest that at least one gene (mst36Fa) of the cluster is under translational repression until spermiogenesis suggesting a putative role in the spermatides differentiation. The present study is aimed at the structural analysis of these genes.
Di Cara
F
F
Institute of Genetics and Biophysics Adriano Buzzati Traverso, Via P. Castellino 111, Naples, Italy.
Morra
R
R
Cavaliere
D
D
Sorrentino
A
A
De Simone
A
A
Polito
C L
CL
Digilio
A F
AF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D050939:Gene Fusion; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D019476:Insect Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger