A Drosophila third chromosome minute locus encodes a ribosomal protein

Minutes (M) are a group of over 50 phenotypically similar Drosophila mutations widely believed to affect ribosomal protein genes. This report describes the characterization of the P element-induced M(3)95A(Plac92) mutation [allelic to M(3)95A]. This mutation can be reversed by the mobilization of the P element, demonstrating that the mutation is caused by insertion of this transposable element. The gene interrupted by insertion of the P element was cloned by use of inverse polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a 70-75% identity to the human and rat ribosomal protein S3 genes, and to the Xenopus ribosomal protein S1a gene. At the amino acid level, the overall identity is ≃ 78% for all three species. This is only the second time that a Minute has been demonstrated to encode a ribosomal protein.