A family of dynein genes in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract

We report the identification and initial characterization of seven Drosophila dynein heavy chain genes. Each gene is single copy and maps to a unique genomic location. Sequence analysis of partial clones reveals that each encodes a highly conserved portion of the putative dynein hydrolytic ATP-binding site in dyneins that includes a consensus phosphate-binding (P-loop) motif. One of the clones is derived from a Drosophila cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain gene, Dhc64C, that shows extensive amino acid identity to cytoplasmic dynein isoforms from other organisms. Two other Drosophila dynein clones are 85 and 90% identical at the amino acid level to the corresponding region of the beta heavy chain of sea urchin axonemal dynein. Probes for all seven of the dynein-related sequences hybridize to transcripts that are of the appropriate size, approximately 14 kilobases, to encode the characteristic high molecular weight dynein heavy chain polypeptides. The Dhc64C transcript is readily detected in RNA from ovaries, embryos, and testes. Transcripts from five of the six remaining genes are also detected in much lesser amounts in tissues other than testes. All but one of the dynein transcripts are expressed at comparable levels in testes suggesting their participation in flagellar axoneme assembly and motility.

Mechanotransduction and auditory transduction in Drosophila

“…Because each cilium is held at both tip and base, an active stroke will cause a helical writhe that shortens the overall ciliary length in opposition to the stimulus force, increasing the tension on any elements connected in series and making a sharp bend at the base [68,94]. The dynein arms that drive axonemal bending in motile flagella and cilia are not prominent in sectioned chordotonal cilia, but axonemalclass dyneins that are expressed in female as well as male flies [76] are probably present in sensory cilia, as these contain the only axonemes in the fly other than sperm flagella. Ciliary motility may be abolished in touchinsensitive larva B (tilB) mutants, which specifically affect chordotonal organs and sperm flagella.…”

TheDrosophilatctex-1 Light Chain Is Dispensable for Essential Cytoplasmic Dynein Functions but Is Required during Spermatid Differentiation

“…Genomic DNA for Southern blot experiments was prepared from adult flies as described previously (Rasmusson et al, 1994). Southern and Northern blots were prepared by standard methods.…”

Isolation of several human axonemal dynein heavy chain genes: genomic structure of the catalytic site, phylogenetic analysis and chromosomal assignment

“…We analysed data released from the GenBank data base for cytoplasmic DHCs from rats [24,25], humans [26], D. discoideum [27], yeast [28,29], E. nidulans [30], N. crassa [31], P. tetraurelia [15], C. elegans [32], D. melanogaster [33] and sea urchins [17], and for axonemal DHCs from rats [18], P. tetraurelia [15], C. reinhardtii [12,13], D. melanogaster [16] and sea urchins [17]. The oligonucleotide primers for PCR were designed according to the amino acid sequences corresponding to the most conserved regions of the PI-loop domain among the cytoplasmic or axonemal DHC sequences, and to compensate for the potential mismatches between templates P-loops 400 aa The four centrally located P-loops are indicated by boxes 1^1 on a whole dynein heavy chain depicted by black bar, box 1 (hatched box) being the catalytic functional Pl-loop.…”