Published November 18, 1988
| public
Journal Article
A protein component of Drosophila polar granules is encoded by vasa and has extensive sequence similarity to ATP-dependent helicases
- Creators
- Hay, Bruce
- Jan, Lily Yeh
- Jan, Yuh Nung
Abstract
Determinants of pole cells, which are precursors of the germ line, are provided maternally and are localized to the posterior pole of the Drosophila egg, as are polar granules. It has been hypothesized that certain RNA molecules associated with polar granules may be necessary for pole cell determination. Using a monoclonal antibody (Mab46F11) against polar granules, we have cloned the gene for one of their components. This gene turns out to be vasa, which is required maternally for the formation of polar granules and germ cells. This polar granule component shows significant sequence similarity to elF-4A, a translation initiation factor that binds to mRNA, and to other helicases.
Additional Information
© 1988 by Cell Press. Received 19 September 1988. We thank Drs. P Lasko and M. Ashburner for communicating their studies of vasa prior to publication, Dr. L. Kalfayan for sending us the ovarian cDNA library, Drs. T Schüpbach, E. Wieschaus, and M. Ashburner for mutant stocks, and Drs. B. Alberts, E. Giniger, C. Guthrie, R. Lehmann and P. Walter for helpful comments on the manuscript. We are most grateful for the excellent technical help of R. Tuma and L. Ackerman, for the help of Drs. H. Väsin and M. Caudy with Northern analysis, and for the unfailing assistance in manuscript preparation by L. Schulte and M. Los Huertos. Y. N. J. and L. Y. J. are Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 102885
- DOI
- 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90216-4
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20200428-140909989
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
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2020-04-28Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field