CHARACTERIZATION AND GENE CLONING OF DROSOPHILA SYNTAXIN-1 (DSYNT1) -THE FRUIT-FLY HOMOLOG OF RAT SYNTAXIN-1

A monoclonal antibody, mAb 44D5, has been used to identify and clone D rosophila syntaxin 1 (Dsynt1), an homologue of rat syntaxin 1. The ded uced amino acid sequence of the Dsynt1 cDNA cloned is highly homologou s to rat syntaxin 1A. Dsynt1 contains 291 amino acid residues and like other members of the syntaxin family is an integral membrane protein, with a transmembrane region at its carboxy-terminus and several regio ns of the molecule predicted to be in a coiled-coil conformation. The protein is specific to the nervous system and localized in synaptic ar eas of bath central nervous system (CNS) and neuromuscular junction. T he same antibody used to clone Dsynt1 cDNA stains synaptic areas in ra t cerebellum and a neuroespecific antigen in rat and human tissues wit h identical relative mobility to rat syntaxin 1.