Drosophila nucleostemin 2 proved essential for early eye development and cell survival

Human nucleostemin (NS) is a nucleolar protein involved in cell-cycle progression and ribosomal biogenesis. While four NS orthologs have been reported in Drosophila melanogaster, their roles in development have yet to be determined. Here we describe evidence that Drosophila nucleostemin 2 (ns2) plays a significant role in early eye development and is essential for cell survival in vivo.