Characterization of a novel Minute-locus in Drosophila melanogaster: a putative ribosomal protein gene.

We describe a novel Minute locus, M(1)7C, on the X-chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. Heterozygous deficient females have most, if not all, of the Minute features (short and fine bristles, rough and somewhat larger eyes, thin-textured wings, missing aristae, affected antennae, delayed development, reduced fertility, and decreased viability). Both Minute and non-Minute adult progeny from Minute mothers suffer from Minute maternal effects such as abdominal segmentation defects, fused tergites, and missing or defective legs and halteres. Using a plasmid clone from region 7C5-9, which harbours the D. melanogaster ribosomal protein gene RPS14, we have found that the accumulation of a single transcript of approximately 650 b is extremely reduced in Minute larvae in comparison with wild-type. We have localized the RPS14 gene to approximately 28 kbp distal from the singed locus. The results suggest that M(1)7C and RPS14 may be the same gene.