title: Mutations in the Drosophila mitochondrial tRNA amidotransferase, bene/gatA, cause growth defects in mitotic and endoreplicating tissues.
abstract: Rapid larval growth is essential in the development of most metazoans. In this article, we show that bene, a gene previously identified on the basis of its oogenesis defects, is also required for larval growth and viability. We show that all bene alleles disrupt gatA, which encodes the Drosophila homolog of glutamyl-tRNA(Gln) amidotransferase subunit A (GatA). bene alleles are now referred to as gatA. GatA proteins are highly conserved throughout eukaryotes and many prokaryotes. These enzymes are required for proper translation of the proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome and by many eubacterial genomes. Mitotic and endoreplicating tissues in Drosophila gatA loss-of-function mutants grow slowly and never achieve wild-type size, and gatA larvae die before pupariation. gatA mutant eye clones exhibit growth and differentiation defects, indicating that gatA expression is required cell autonomously for normal growth. The gatA gene is widely expressed in mitotic and endoreplicating tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, Fordham University, New York, New York 10023, USA.
authors.forename: Jason Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kruyer
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gertsberg
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guigova
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pogorzelska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D019884:Nitrogenous Group Transferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019884:Nitrogenous Group Transferases; C047694:glutamyl-tRNA(Gln) amidotransferase