Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identification of a small genetic region that encodes orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylate decarboxylase in Drosophila melanogaster

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A variety of tests indicate that a small genetic region in chromosome 3R encodes at least a part of the bienzyme complex containing the last two enzymes of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway in Drosophila melanogaster, Complex U. Electrophoretic variants of the last pathway enzyme map to this region and both Complex U activities are proportionally reduced in flies heterozygous for specific deficeencies of the region. Complex U mutants have been isolated that lack both activities. Characteristics of these mutants are discussed relative to other pyrimidine pathway mutants known in Drosophila melanogaster and in mammals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brothers, V., Tsubota, S., Germeraad, S., Fristrom, J.: The rudimentary locus of Drosophila melanogaster: partial purification of a carbamyl phosphate synthase-aspartate transcarbamylase-dihydroorotase complex. Biochem. Genet. 16, 321–332 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G., O'Sullivan, W.: Subunit structure of the orotate phosphoribosyltransferase-orotidylate decarboxylase complex from human erythrocytes. Biochemistry 16, 3235–3242 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, P., Suttle, D., Stark, G.: Purification from hamster cells of a multifunctional protein that initiates de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. J. Biol. Chem. 252, 6379–6385 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fortebraccio, M., Scalenghe, F., Ritossa, F.: Cytological localization of the “ebony” locus in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Drosophila Inform. Serv. 52, 102 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Giles, N.: The organization, function, and evolution of gene clusters in eucaryotes. Am. Naturalist 112, 641–657 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Handschumacher, R.: Orotidylic acid decarboxylase: inhibition studies with azauridine 5′-phosphate. J. Biol. Chem. 235, 2917–2919 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarry, B.: Purification of aspartate transcarbamylase from Drosophila melanogaster. Eur. J. Biochem. 87, 533–540 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarry, B., Falk, D.: Functional diversity within the rudimentary locus of Drosophila melanogaster. Mol. Gen. Genet. 135, 113–122 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M.: Regulation of uridylic acid biosynthesis in eukaryotic cells. Curr. Top. Cell. Regul. 6, 227–265 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kavipurapu, P., Jones, M.: Purification, size and properties of the complex of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase-orotidylate decarboxylase from mouse Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. J. Biol. Chem. 251, 5589–5599.

  • Kelley, W., Smith, L.: Disorders of purine and pyrimidine metabolism. In: The Metabolic basis of inherited disease, 4th ed. (J. Stanbury, J. Wyngaarden, and D. Frederickson, eds.), pp. 1045–1071. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Kent, R., Lin, R., Sallach, H., Cohen, P.: Reversible dissociation of a carbamoyl phosphate synthase-aspartate transcarbamoylase-dihydroorotase complex from ovarian eggs of Rana catesbeiana: effect of uridine triphosphate and other modifiers. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1712–1716 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Knooth, R., Hsiao, W., Potvin, B.: Resistance of 5-fluoroorotic acid and pyrimidine auxotrophy: a new bidirectional selective system for mammalian cells. Somatic Cell Genet. 5, 551–569 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, B., Ullman, B., Martin, D.: Pyrimidine pathway variants of cultured mouse lymphoma cells with altered levels of both orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylate decarboxylase. J. Biol. Chem. 264, 4396–4401 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, E., Bacher, F.: Method of feeding ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) to Drosophila males Drosophila Inform. Serv. 43, 193 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsley, D., Grell, E.: Genetic Variations of Drosophila melanogaster. Carnegie Inst. Washington Publ. 627

  • Lindsley, D., Sandler, L., Baker, B., Carpenter, A., Denell, R., Hall, J., Jacobs, P., Miklos, G., Davis, B., Gethmann, R., Hardy, R., Hessler, A., Miller, S., Nozawa, H., Parry, D., Gould-Somero, M.: Segmental aneuploidy and the genetic gross structure of the Drosophila genome. Genetics 71, 157–188 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mori, M., Tatibana, M.: Purification of homogeneous glutaminedependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase from ascites hepatoma cells as a complex with aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase. J. Biochem. 78, 239–242 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Norby, S.: The biochemical genetics of Rudimentary mutants of Drosophila melanogaster I. Aspartate carbamoyltransferase levels in complementing and non-complementing strains. Hereditas 73, 11–16 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Brien, S., MacIntyre, R.: Genetics and biochemistry of enzymes and specific proteins of Drosophila. In: The genetics and biology of Drosophila (M. Ashburner and T. Wright, eds.), Vol. 2a, pp. 396–551. New York: Academic Press 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J.: Enzymatic synthesis of [6-14C]orotidine 5′-monophosphate and its use in the assay of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylate decarboxylase. Analyt. Biochem. 86, 107–117 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J.: The enzymes for de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis in Drosophila melanogaster: their localization, properties and expression during development. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 62B, 207–216 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J., Fristrom, J.: A complex genetic locus that controls the first three steps of pyrimidine biosynthesis in Drosophila. Nature 255, 738–740 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J., Porter, L.: Organization of the rudimentary wing locus in Drosophila melanogaster. I. The isolation and partial characterization of mutants induced with ethylmethanesulfonate, ICR-170, and X-rays. Genetics 93, 143–161 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rizki R., Rizki, T.: Morphogenetic effects of 6-azauracil and 6-azauridine. Science 150, 222–223 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shoaf, T., Jones, M.: Uridylic acid synthesis in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. Properties, subcellular distribution and nature of enzyme complexes of the six biosynthetic enzymes. Biochemistry 12, 4039–4051 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroman, P., Bahn, E., Norby, S., Sick, K.: 6-azauracil induced phenocopies of Rudimentary wing mutants and their suppression by a suppressor mutants of rudimentary in Drosophila melanogaster. Hereditas 73, 239–246 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Suttle, P., Stark, G.: Coordinate overproduction of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidine-5′-phosphate decarboxylase in hamster cells resistant to pyrazofurin and 6-azauridine. J. Biol. Chem. 254, 4602–4607 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Worthy, T., Grobner, W., Kelley, W., Hereditary orotic aciduria: evidence for a structural gene mutation. Proc Natl Acad Sci. U.S.A. 71, 3031–3035 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. T.H. Morgan School of Biological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 40506, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    John M. Rawls Jr.

Authors
  1. John M. Rawls Jr.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by M.M. Green

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rawls, J.M. Identification of a small genetic region that encodes orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylate decarboxylase in Drosophila melanogaster . Molec. Gen. Genet. 178, 43–49 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267211

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267211

Keywords

Search

Navigation