Transgenic Lines of Drosophila. Transgenic lines of Drosophila were obtained previously by transposition of a P-element that contains a beta-galactosidase reporter gene. Genomic DNAs adjacent to the P-element insertion sites and cDNAs were cloned from 5 transgenic fly lines. 1. The P-element in Drosophila line 367 is inserted in a novel zinc finger gene that is expressed primarily in the CNS of embryos. The homozygous P-element insertion into chromosomal DNA results in lethality accompanied by malformation of the ventral nerve cord of embryos. cDNA corresponding to gene 367 was cloned and sequenced; the encoded protein contains two putative zinc fingers near the C-terminus of the protein. 2. In Drosophila line 73 the P-element is inserted in a novel kinesin heavy chain gene (73) that is expressed during embryonic development primarily in the CNS and PNS. Kinesin-73 protein is closely related to C. elegans UNC-104 kinesin, which transports synaptic vesicles to axonal synaptic boutons. 3. Drosophila line 393C-2 contains a P-element inserted in the High Mobility Group Protein-D (HMG-D) gene, which encodes a chromosomal DNA binding protein. The HMG-D gene is expressed ubiquitously during early embryonic development, but later in development is expressed exclusively in the CNS and PNS. The homozygous P-element insertion is a lethal mutation. 4. A cDNA was cloned that corresponds to a novel Drosophila gene named QM-D that encodes a protein similar to QM protein, which reportedly binds to Jun and inhibits DNA binding and transcriptional activation by Jun. 5. Drosophila line 67 contains a transposed P-element that is inserted in a novel gene that is expressed during embryonic development only in small subset of putative CNS neurons. The corresponding cDNA was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the encoded protein is not closely related to any previously described protein.
