The Drosophila glucose transporter gene: cDNA sequence, phylogenetic comparisons, analysis of functional sites and secondary structures

Facilitative glucose transport is mediated by members of the glucose transp orter (GLUT) protein family that belong to the large superfamily of twelve transmembrane segment transporters. We have cloned and sequenced a 2,168 ba se-pair cDNA from Drosophila melanogaster (termed Dmglut 1: GenBank accessi on number AF064703) with strong homology to the mammalian Glut genes. The c DNA has an open reading frame encoding a protein of 480 amino acids which s hows a similarity of 68%,: to the human GLUT1 protein, We have done a phylo genetic analysis of the cDNA and the deduced protein sequences and found a significant homology to a putative coding sequence (Ceglut 1) in Caenorhabd itis elegans. Here we report the results of analyses of functional sires an d secondary structures of the proposed proteins and conclude that the Dmglu t 1 and Ceglut 1 genes encode functional glucose transporters.