STRUCTURE OF THE PHENYLALANINE-HYDROXYLASE GENE IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER AND EVIDENCE OF ALTERNATIVE PROMOTER USAGE

The complete Drosophila melanogaster phenylalanine hydroxylase gene is olated from a genomic library was sequenced. Gene structure consisted of five exons covering a region of around 3 kb. Position of introns in the C-terminal domain was conserved with mammalian aromatic amino aci d hydroxylase genes. Putative promoter sequences in the 5'UTR and intr on 1 were identified. A novel transcript was detected differing from t hat previously reported by the inclusion of a part of the intron 1 seq uence. It could be produced using an alternative promoter. The deduced open reading frame would code a protein with a small difference at th e N-terminus. Expression of the alternative transcripts was examined t hroughout development. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.