THE TRYPTOPHAN OXYGENASE GENE OF ANOPHELES-GAMBIAE

The Anopheles gambiae gene encoding tryptophan oxygenase, a homolog of the Drosophila melanogaster vermilion gene, has been molecularly clon ed and characterized, Unlike Drosophila, where it is X-linked, the A, gambiae gene maps to chromosome 2R, subdivision 12E, by in situ hybrid ization to the polytene chromosomes, Of the six introns present, four are positioned identically to those of the Drosophila homolog, one is similarly positioned, and one is novel. A 1955 nt cDNA potentially enc odes a 392 amino acid protein of an estimated 45 kDa. Amino acid compa risons between the deduced protein and previously known tryptophan oxy genases revealed 74% identity between Anopheles and Drosophila, and 53 % identity between Anopheles and nematode or mammalian proteins, North ern analysis detected a developmentally regulated transcript about 2 k b in length, Since this gene is known to control adult eye color in ot her flies, its cloning from A, gambiae provides the basis for a domina nt phenotypic marker for germline transformation, one whose expression , unlike that of white, is not cell autonomous. Copyright (C) 1996 Els evier Science Ltd.