Integrative Computational and Experimental Analysis of Curly Su Mutations in Drosophila melanogaster
The Curly Su (dMPO) protein, a homolog of the human myeloperoxidase (hMPO), is critical for wing development in Drosophila melanogaster. Like human peroxidases, dMPO is involved in various cellular and physiological processes, producing significant quantities of reactive oxygen species that contribute to both development and immunity in the fruit fly. Given the significant sequence and structural similarities between dMPO and hMPO, dMPO serves an ideal model for studying peroxidase functions and related pathologies. We performed saturated computational mutagenesis on dMPO, analyzing the effects of 11,191 missense mutations on its stability. Notably, the G378W mutation exhibited the greatest destabilizing effect, while the W621R, potentially pathogenic, also reduced dMPO stability. To investigate these effects in vivo, we used genome editing to generate the transgenic Drosophila with G378W, W621R, and deletion of residues 305-687. Remarkably, G378W mutants displayed significant alterations in wing morphology and reduced lifespan. RNA-seq analysis of transgenic and wild-type flies revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs), as interpreted through gene ontology analysis. Our integrated computational and genetic approach identified dMPO mutations that disrupt protein stability and alter gene expression. These findings offer new insight into how single-point mutations can lead to systemic biological changes. Overall design: RNA-seq was conducted on adult Drosophila carrying G378W, W621R, or Del305–687 dMPO mutations and wild-type controls, with three biological replicates per group.