Three Drosophila genes with cellular sequences related to the ets region of the chicken retrovirus, E26, have been isolated in this laboratory. The characterized portion of the most related gene, D-ets, shows over 90% identity with the last two exons of the chicken c-ets-1 gene at the predicted amino acid level. The region of D-ets (a genomic clone) 5' to this region has been shown to be present in a cDNA clone, and this sequence is divergent from the chicken c-ets-1 gene. D-ets is expressed as a 4.7 kb transcript throughout development. It is localized to chromosome 3R at position 58A/B. D-elg (Drosophila ets-like gene) is a related gene that has been localized to chromosomal position 97D on chromosome 3R. This gene is represented by a clone isolated from a pupae cDNA library. Its sequence shows 60% amino acid similarity with D-ets. D-elg is expressed as a maternal single transcript of 2.0 kb that is expressed throughout embryogenesis, as well as pupae and adult stages, but absent from larvae. A third gene, E13B, was identified by hybridization with v-ets, and a genomic clone has been partially sequenced. A cDNA clone that hybridized to E13B shows a long Poly A+ tail and is also being sequenced. The E13B gene is expressed as a 1.6 kb RNA species in pupae and adults only. It is located on chromosome 3L at position 66A. Control microinjection studies are beginning that will measure viability and fertility of injected embryos. A cDNA library has been constructed in order to find a full-length D-ets clone. Mapping of D-ets and D-elg by Sl and primer extension analyses are underway.
