title: Domesticated retroviral GAG gene in Drosophila: new functions for an old gene.
abstract: The domestication of foreign genes is a powerful mechanism for new gene formation and genome evolution. It is known that domesticated retroviral gag genes in mammals not only take part in protecting against viral infection but also control cell division, apoptosis, function of the placenta, and other biological processes. In this study, we focused on the domesticated retroviral gag gene homolog (Grp) in the Drosophila melanogaster genome. According to the results of a bioinformatic analysis, the Grp gene product is primarily under purifying selection in Drosophilidae family. The Grp protein has been shown to be transmembrane. The Grp gene is expressed at the adult stage of D. melanogaster in gender-specific and tissue-specific manner. Also the Grp gene expression is increased in response to the gypsy retrovirus. A function of the protein as a component of the endosomic membrane is considered.
authors: Department of Genetics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia. Electronic address: lidia_nefedova@mail.ru.
authors: L N
authors: LN
authors: Nefedova
authors: Department of Genetics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia.
authors: I V
authors: IV
authors: Kuzmin
authors: Department of Genetics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia.
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Makhnovskii
authors: Department of Genetics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia.
authors: A I
authors: AI
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D015750:Genes, gag; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010802:Phylogeny; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; C000605877:grp protein, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila; Endogenous retrovirus gypsy; Gag gene domestication; LTR-retrotransposon