High impact information on p47

• Eyes closed, a Drosophila p47 homolog, is essential for photoreceptor morphogenesis [1].
• Failure of this set of plasmids to support transient late gene expression, and the inability of the p47 ORF to replace the p47-containing plasmid supplied in the lef plasmid library, led to the identification of a 19th late expression factor gene (lef-12) located adjacent to the p47 gene [2].
• Besides TER94, sex-specific forms were also detected in the gonads of the imago: p47 in the ovaries and p98 in the testis [3].
• Previously, we reported that in clam oocytes, cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein (CPEB) co-immunoprecipitates with p47, a member of the highly conserved RCK family of RNA helicases which includes Drosophila Me31B and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dhh1 [4].

Biological context of p47

• Phenotypes resulting from eyc mutations provide the first in vivo evidence for a role for p47 in membrane biogenesis [1].
• Starting with a mutation impacting photoreceptor morphogenesis, we identify here a Drosophila gene, eyes closed (eyc), as a fly homolog of p47, a protein co-factor of the p97 ATPase implicated in membrane fusion [1].

Anatomical context of p47

• TER94/p47 staining was observed in the nurse cells and often in the oöcytes, while TER94/p98 staining was present in the sperm bundles [3].

References