The Drosophila yolkless gene encodes a vitellogenin receptor belonging to the low density lipoprotein receptor superfamily

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1995-02, Vol.92 (5), p.1485-1489
• Main Authors: Schonbaum, C.P. (University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.), Lee, S, Mahowald, A.P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; ARN MENSAJERO; ARN MESSAGER; Cellular biology; Chickens; CHIMIORECEPTEUR; Chromosome Mapping; Cloning, Molecular; Complementary DNA; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; Consensus Sequence; DNA; Drosophila; DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Egg Proteins; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; GENE; Gene Expression; GENES; Genes, Insect; Genomics; Insects; LDL receptors; Lipids; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family; Oocytes; OVAIRE; OVARIOS; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; Proteins; QUIMIORECEPTORS; Receptors; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, LDL - genetics; Restriction Mapping; RNA, Messenger - genetics; SECUENCIA NUCLEICA; SEQUENCE NUCLEIQUE; Vertebrates; VITELLOGENINE; VITELOGENINA
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.92.5.1485

Sequence comparisons of vitellogenins from a wide range of organisms have identified regions of similarity not only to each other but also to vertebrate apolipoproteins (e.g. apoB-100 and apoE). Furthermore, the chicken vitellogenin receptor, which also binds apolipoproteins, has been found to belong to the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) superfamily [Bujo, H., Hermann, M., Kaderli, M.O., Jacobsen, L., Sugawara, S., Nimpf, J., Yamamoto, T. and Schneider, W.J. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 5166-5167]. The yolk proteins of higher dipterans are exceptional, however, and instead show similarity to lipoprotein lipases. The molecular characterization of the putative Drosophila melanogaster vitellogenin receptor gene, yolkless (yl), described in this report reveals that the protein it encodes (Yl), is also a member of the LDLR superfamily. The ovary-specific 6.5-kb yl RNA codes for a protein of approximately 210 kDa which contains all three motifs common to the LDLR class of proteins. Within this superfamily, Yl may be related more to the LDLR-related proteins (LRPs), which bind both apolipoproteins and lipoprotein lipases. The similarity of Yl to the other LDLR proteins is restricted to the putative extracellular domain. Most noticeably, the cytoplasmic domain of Yl lacks the typical NPXY sequence which is involved in receptor internalization