Comparative analysis of the sequence and structure of two Drosophila melanogaster genes encoding vitelline membrane proteins.

Two Drosophila melanogaster vitelline membrane protein-encoding genes (VM), located at polytene band positions 26A and 34C, have been cloned and comparatively characterized at the nucleotide level. Sequence analysis of genomic and cDNA clones for the two genes, VM26A.1 and VM34C.1, indicates that both are similarly organized with a central highly conserved domain [Scherer et al., Dev. Biol. 130 (1988) 786-788] which is flanked by unrelated regions, and that both genes lack introns. Comparison of the upstream regions reveals that both VM genes contain a hepatmeric element identical to one associated with the D. melanogaster yolk protein-encoding genes (YP). This heptamer occurs in the specific 5' flanking region responsible for ovarian temporal- and tissue-specific control in both VM and YP genes. A putative chorion transcription factor 2 site is also associated with an upstream control element of VM26A.1, but not with any sequenced portion of VM34C.1.