Se. Cramton et Fa. Laski, STRING OF PEARLS ENCODES DROSOPHILA RIBOSOMAL-PROTEIN S2, HAS MINUTE-LIKE CHARACTERISTICS, AND IS REQUIRED DURING OOGENESIS, Genetics, 137(4), 1994, pp. 1039-1048
The first allele of string of pearls (sop) was isolated as a recessive
female sterile mutant in a P element enhancer trap screen. Oogenesis
in homozygous sop females arrests at approximately stage 5. In additio
n, homozygous flies of both sexes have Minute-like characteristics tha
t include reduced bristles, delayed development and larval lethality.
sop maps to 30D/E on chromosome 2L and encodes the Drosophila homolog
of eukaryotic ribosomal protein S2. The gene is present in a single co
py in the Drosophila genome and the level of mRNA present in mutant an
imals is reduced. The identification of a mutant allele that blocks de
velopment at a mid-stage of oogenesis may indicate that sop has a spec
ific developmental role during oogenesis in addition to its general ro
le in protein synthesis as a component of the small ribosomal subunit.