Mf. Wolfner et al., NEW GENES FOR MALE ACCESSORY-GLAND PROTEINS IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER, Insect biochemistry and molecular biology, 27(10), 1997, pp. 825-834
The accessory gland of male insects produces components of the seminal
fluid that alter the behavior, physiology and life span of the mated
female, and contribute to her efficient storage and utilization of spe
rm. As a step towards understanding how this occurs, we have isolated
genes encoding 12 previously unreported accessory gland-specific mRNAs
from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We report here the restri
ction maps of the new genes, the chromosome positions - which are all
autosomal - of the 11 non-repetitive genes, their expression patterns,
and the sequences of the accessory gland proteins (Acps) encoded by n
ine of the genes. Eight of the proteins predicted from these sequences
begin with putative secretion signals. Following their signal sequenc
es, three of the predicted molecules are peptides and the other five a
re larger polypeptides with characteristics of cleavable prohormones.
The ninth molecule, which has an N-terminal hydrophobic region but no
consensus signal peptide cleavage site, is predicted to be a 716 amino
acid glycoprotein. Of the nine proteins, two have intriguing similari
ties to sequences in protein databases. Acp76A is a 388 amino acid pro
-protein which contains a signature sequence for the serpin class of p
rotease inhibitors. The 115 amino acid Acp62F has a 28 amino acid regi
on of high sequence similarity to a neurotoxin of the Brazilian armed
spider Phoneutria nigriventer. Models are discussed in which Acp76A pl
ays a role in the observed regulation of Acp proteolysis and/or in the
coagulation of seminal fluid to form a mating plug, and in which Acp6
2F contributes to the reported toxicity of Drosophila seminal fluid. (
C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.