Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2026
06:37
Ubiquitous and Tissue-specific RNA Targeting in Drosophila Melanogaster using CRISPR/CasRx
Published on: February 5, 2021
Is esterase-P encoded by a cryptic pseudogene in Drosophila melanogaster?
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine 92697-2525, USA.
Genetics
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Esterase-P (Est-P) in Drosophila melanogaster may be a cryptic pseudogene. Most strains retain an intact coding sequence, masking its non-functional status and potentially explaining rarity of pseudogene discovery in Drosophila.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Esterase-P (Est-P) is a gene found in Drosophila melanogaster.
- Pseudogenes are non-functional copies of genes that can provide insights into evolutionary processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional status of the Esterase-P (Est-P) gene in Drosophila melanogaster.
- To explore the potential for cryptic pseudogenes within the Drosophila genome.
Main Methods:
- Amplification and sequencing of the Esterase-P (Est-P) gene across 10 strains of Drosophila melanogaster.
- Analysis of coding regions for mutations, including premature termination codons.
Main Results:
- Two of the 10 Drosophila melanogaster strains analyzed exhibited premature termination codons in the Est-P gene's coding region.
- This suggests that Est-P may function as a pseudogene in a subset of D. melanogaster strains.
- The Est-P gene retains an intact coding sequence in most D. melanogaster strains, classifying it as a 'cryptic' pseudogene.
Conclusions:
- The Esterase-P (Est-P) gene in Drosophila melanogaster is proposed to be a cryptic pseudogene.
- The beta-esterase cluster in other Drosophila species may contain both functional and non-functional genes.
- The apparent rarity of pseudogenes in Drosophila may stem from the difficulty in detecting cryptic pseudogenes.
Related Concept Videos
02:32Position-effect Variegation
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
02:57piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs
PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
02:32Exon Recombination
The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes.
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
02:46Genetic Screens
Genetic screens are tools used to identify genes and mutations responsible for phenotypes of interest. Genetic screens help identify individuals or a group of people at risk of developing genetic diseases and help them with early intervention, targeted therapy, and reproductive options.
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which result in visible changes...
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which result in visible changes...