Mouse pelota gene (Pelo): cDNA cloning, genomic structure, and chromosomal localization

The pelota gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a protein which is included in cell cycle regulation. Mutations were found to result in spermatogenic arrest, female sterility and disturbances in the patterning of the eye. We have recently isolated and characterized cDNA clones coding for the human pelota gene (PELO). Here we describe the cloning of the murine pelota cDNA and gene (Pelo) that encodes a 385-amino-acid protein. The exon-intron structure of the gene, which contains three exons, was determined. Comparison of the mouse amino acid sequences with the human and Drosophila sequences revealed an overall high identity (96% and 70%, respectively). Northern blot analysis detected a 1.7-kb transcript in all tissues studied. Southern blot analyses revealed that the pelota gene is present as a single copy in the mouse genome. The mouse pelota gene (Pelo) was mapped to the distal end of chromosome 13, in a region that is homologous with a segment of human chromosome 5q11 containing the orthologous human gene. Cloning of the mouse gene is an important step to study the function of the pelota gene in mammals and to create a mouse model for this evolutionarily conserved gene.