cDNA sequence and expression pattern of the Drosophila melanogaster PAPS synthetase gene: a new salivary gland marker

PAPS synthetase is a bifunctional enzyme containing both ATP sulfurylase and APS kinase activities required for the biosynthesis of PAPS, the sulfate donor in sulfation reactions. Here we report the sequence of the Drosophila melanogaster PAPS synthetase, the first gene implicated in the sulfation pathway to be described in that organism, and the characterization of its specificity of expression in embryos. Whole-mount in situ hybridization reveals that DmPAPSS is a novel salivary gland marker. At the end of embryogenesis, expression of DmPAPSS is also observed at the entry and exit of the gut and the posterior spiracles. We discuss the possibility that the pattern of expression of the DmPAPSS gene might reflect a major role for sulfation in mucus biosynthesis at the end of Drosophila embryogenesis.