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Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004  12:08:02  \-0500
To: rd120@XXXX
From: Yashoda Sharma <ysharma@XXXX>
Subject: Flybase update
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Hello Rachel,
About a year ago you contacted me about CG15148, which I asked you
to rename Dhc36D, due to its sequence properties. I am writing to
give you an update of this gene. My thesis work at the University of
Iowa, with Dr. Daniel Eberl has revealed that Dhc36D is the
previously identified audition gene beethoven. I've attached a
synopsis of my findings. We would appreciate it very much if you
could include this as a communication to FlyBase and update the
information.
If you have any questions please contact me at this email. Please
let me know the status of this.
thank you for your assistance in this matter
Yashoda
PCR, Southern analysis, and sequencing data indicate that the audition gene,
beethoven (btv) is encoded by the Drosophila DHC1b isoform, Dhc36D. As the 1b
isoform, btv appears to serve as the retrograde motor for intraflagellar
transport specifically in the sensory cilia of Johnston's organ. This finding
is supported by EM studies that show that the Johnston's organ cilia are
disrupted (Eberl et al., 1997), similarly to DHC1b mutant cilia from other
organisms, especially those of C. elegans (Signor et al., 1999). The
defective btv cilia resemble those in mutants for the other recently
identified Drosophila IFT components (Han et al., 2003; Sarpal et al., 2003).
btv mutants are fertile, confirming the findings of Han and Sarpal that IFT is
not required for Drosophila sperm development.
The lesion in the btv5P1 allele (EMS-induced) is a 401 basepair deletion
and a 6 basepair insertion. This likely eliminates one of the P-loop motifs
required for ATP hydrolysis, or it may result in the production of a truncated
protein.
The other btv allele, k07109b is likely a 'hit and run' lesion, which we have
not yet defined molecularly, but is NOT associated with the k07109b insertion
of the PlacW element, which is actually present in the FasIII gene nearby.