High impact information on dec-1

• Female-sterile mutations at the dec-1 (defective chorion-1) locus of Drosophila severely disrupt the organization of the eggshell late in oogenesis [1].
• E2f2 mutant females display a 50% reduction in chorion gene amplification, and lay poorly viable eggs with a defective chorion [2].
• Using extant dec-1 mutations in conjunction with genetically engineered dec-1 transgenes, we show that, although all three dec-1 proproteins, fc106, fc125, and fc177, are required for female fertility, gross morphological abnormalities in the eggshell are observed only in the absence of fc177 [3].
• The dec-1 gene, which is required for proper eggshell assembly, produces three proproteins that are cleaved within the vitelline membrane layer to multiple derivatives [3].
• During stages 9-12 of oogenesis the ovarian follicle cells synthesize three alternatively spliced dec-1 RNAs that encode proteins of 106, 125, and 177 kDa [4].

Biological context of dec-1

• Conceptual translation of the DNA sequence as well as molecular analyses of several dec-1 mutants suggest that the less abundant alternatively spliced RNAs encode primary translation products with different carboxy terminal ends [5].
• Multiple proteins are produced from the dec-1 eggshell gene in Drosophila by alternative RNA splicing and proteolytic cleavage events [5].
• The Drosophila dec-1 gene encodes multiple proteins that are required for female fertility and proper eggshell morphogenesis [6].
• Evolution of the dec-1 eggshell locus in Drosophila. II. Intraspecific DNA sequence analysis reveals length mutations in a repetitive region in D. melanogaster [7].
• The introduction of transgenes containing either the D. yakuba or the D. virilis dec-1 open reading frames into a D. melanogaster DEC-1 protein null mutant was sufficient to restore female fertility and wild-type eggshell morphology [6].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of dec-1

• Restriction site mapping indicated that the dec-1 gene is highly conserved in the melanogaster species subgroup [8].

References