FB2026_01 , released March 12, 2026
FB2026_01 , released March 12, 2026
Gene: Dmel\blp
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General Information
Symbol
Dmel\blp
Species
D. melanogaster
Name
black pearl
Annotation Symbol
CG5268
Feature Type
protein_coding_gene
FlyBase ID
FBgn0038387
Gene Model Status
Current
Stock Availability
6 publicly available
Gene Summary
black pearl (blp) encodes a conserved mitochondrial inner membrane protein. Its loss decreases cytochrome c oxidase activity and causes ROS production, leading to melanotic lesions ("black pearls") in blp-deficient flies. [Date last reviewed: 2019-03-07] (FlyBase Gene Snapshot)
All Summaries
Also Known As

l(3)01618

Key Links
Genomic Location
Cytogenetic map
89A8-89A8
Sequence location
Recombination map
3-58
RefSeq locus
NT_033777 REGION:15933847..15934940
Sequence
Get Decorated FASTA
Genomic Maps
Other Genome Views
The following external sites may use different assemblies or annotations than FlyBase.
NCBI
UCSC
Ensembl
PopFly
Function
Gene Ontology (GO) Annotations (3 terms)
Molecular Function (0 terms)
Terms Based on Experimental Evidence (0 terms)
Terms Based on Predictions or Assertions (0 terms)
Biological Process (2 terms)
Terms Based on Experimental Evidence (1 term)
CV Term
Evidence
References
involved_in instar larval development
inferred from mutant phenotype
(Becker et al., 2001)
Terms Based on Predictions or Assertions (1 term)
CV Term
Evidence
References
involved_in protein import into mitochondrial matrix
inferred from biological aspect of ancestor with PANTHER:PTN000273250
(GO Reference Genome Project, 2011-)
inferred from electronic annotation with InterPro:IPR005341
(InterPro Project Members, 2004-)
Cellular Component (1 term)
Terms Based on Experimental Evidence (0 terms)
Terms Based on Predictions or Assertions (1 term)
CV Term
Evidence
References
part_of TIM23 mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase complex
inferred from electronic annotation with InterPro:IPR005341
(InterPro Project Members, 2004-)
inferred from biological aspect of ancestor with PANTHER:PTN000273250
(GO Reference Genome Project, 2011-)
Gene Group (FlyBase)
Protein Family (UniProt)
Belongs to the TIM16/PAM16 family. (Q9VF08)
Protein Signatures (InterPro)
Summaries
Gene Snapshot
black pearl (blp) encodes a conserved mitochondrial inner membrane protein. Its loss decreases cytochrome c oxidase activity and causes ROS production, leading to melanotic lesions ("black pearls") in blp-deficient flies. [Date last reviewed: 2019-03-07]
Gene Group (FlyBase)
PRESEQUENCE TRANSLOCASE-ASSOCIATED MOTOR SUBUNITS -
The presequence translocase-associated motor (PAM) is a subcomplex of the TIM23 complex. It is required to drive the ATP hydrolysis-dependent translocation of proteins across the inner mitochondrial membrane for import into the matrix. (Adapted from PMID:32074073.)
TIM23 TRANSLOCASE OF INNER MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE MOTOR COMPLEX -
The TIM23 MOTOR (or TIM23 PAM) complex mediates import of mitochondrial presequence-containing proteins into the mitochondrial matrix. Following translocation of proteins across the outer mitochondrial membrane by the TOM complex, presequence-containing proteins are passed to the TIM23 MOTOR complex and transported across the inner membrane. This requires the ATPase-activity of the matrix subcomplex, the presequence translocase-associated motor (PAM). (Adapted from PMID:32074073,PMID:38828998 and PMID:19884344.)
Protein Function (UniProtKB)
Regulates ATP-dependent protein translocation into the mitochondrial matrix (By similarity). Essential for larval development.
(UniProt, Q9VF08)
Gene Model and Products
Number of Transcripts
2
Number of Unique Polypeptides
1

Please see the JBrowse view of Dmel\blp for information on other features

To submit a correction to a gene model please use the Contact FlyBase form

Protein Domains (via Pfam)
Isoform displayed:
Pfam protein domains
InterPro name
classification
start
end
Protein Domains (via SMART)
Isoform displayed:
SMART protein domains
InterPro name
classification
start
end
Structure
Protein 3D structure   (Predicted by AlphaFold)   (AlphaFold entry Q9VF08)

If you don't see a structure in the viewer, refresh your browser.
Model Confidence:
  • Very high (pLDDT > 90)
  • Confident (90 > pLDDT > 70)
  • Low (70 > pLDDT > 50)
  • Very low (pLDDT < 50)

AlphaFold produces a per-residue confidence score (pLDDT) between 0 and 100. Some regions with low pLDDT may be unstructured in isolation.

Experimentally Determined Structures
Crossreferences
Comments on Gene Model

Gene model reviewed during 5.53

Gene model reviewed during 5.45

Gene model reviewed during 5.43

Annotated transcripts do not represent all supported alternative splices within 5' UTR.

Gene model reviewed during 5.55

Transcript Data
Annotated Transcripts
Name
FlyBase ID
RefSeq ID
Length (nt)
Assoc. CDS (aa)
blp-RA
FBtr0083203
NM_079646
955
141
blp-RB
FBtr0345214
NM_001300420
964
141
Additional Transcript Data and Comments
Reported size (kB)
Comments
External Data
Crossreferences
Polypeptide Data
Annotated Polypeptides
Name
FlyBase ID
Predicted MW (kDa)
Length (aa)
Theoretical pI
UniProt
RefSeq ID
GenBank
blp-PA
FBpp0082657
15.7
141
10.21
Q9VF08
NP_524370
AAF55254
blp-PB
FBpp0311409
15.7
141
10.21
Q9VF08
NP_001287349
AHN57348
Polypeptides with Identical Sequences

The group(s) of polypeptides indicated below share identical sequence to each other.

141 aa isoforms: blp-PA, blp-PB
Additional Polypeptide Data and Comments
Reported size (kDa)
Comments
External Data
Subunit Structure (UniProtKB)

Probable component of the PAM complex at least composed of a mitochondrial HSP70 protein, Roe1, TIM44, blp/TIM16 and TIM14. Associates with the TIM23 complex.

(UniProt, Q9VF08)
Domain

The J-like region, although related to the J domain does not have co-chaperone activity.

(UniProt, Q9VF08)
Crossreferences
InterPro - A database of protein families, domains and functional sites
Linkouts
Sequences Consistent with the Gene Model
Mapped Features

Click to get a list of regulatory features (enhancers, TFBS, etc.) and gene disruptions (point mutations, indels, etc.) within or overlapping Dmel\blp using the Feature Mapper tool.

External Data
Crossreferences
Eukaryotic Promoter Database - A collection of databases of experimentally validated promoters for selected model organisms.
Linkouts
Expression Data
Testis-specificity index

The testis specificity index was calculated from modENCODE tissue expression data by Vedelek et al., 2018 to indicate the degree of testis enrichment compared to other tissues. Scores range from -2.52 (underrepresented) to 5.2 (very high testis bias).

3.16

Transcript Expression
Polypeptide Expression
mass spectroscopy
Stage
Tissue/Position (including subcellular localization)
Reference
adult stage
adult head
(Aradska et al., 2015)
day 7 of adulthood -- day 49 of adulthood
adult heart
(Cammarato et al., 2011)
Additional Descriptive Data
Marker for
 
Subcellular Localization
CV Term
Evidence
References
Expression Deduced from Reporters
Reporter: P{PZ}blp01618
Stage
Tissue/Position (including subcellular localization)
Reference
embryonic stage 15 -- 17
larval antenno-maxillary sensory complex | restricted

Comment: localized to small cell clusters

(Becker et al., 2001)
larval brain | restricted

Comment: localized to small cell clusters

(Becker et al., 2001)
ventral midline of embryo

Comment: localized to small cell clusters

(Becker et al., 2001)
second instar larval stage
larval brain | restricted

Comment: localized to a very few small cell clusters

(Becker et al., 2001)
larval ventral nerve cord

Comment: localized to a very few small cell clusters

(Becker et al., 2001)
third instar larval stage
larval brain | restricted

Comment: localized to a many small cell clusters; excludes optic lobes

(Becker et al., 2001)
larval ventral nerve cord

Comment: localized to a many cell clusters

(Becker et al., 2001)
High-Throughput Expression Data
Associated Tools

JBrowse - Visual display of RNA-Seq signals

View Dmel\blp in JBrowse
RNA-Seq by Region - Search RNA-Seq expression levels by exon or genomic region
Bulk Downloads
RNA-Seq RPKM values for all genes
Reference
See Gelbart and Emmert, 2013 for analysis details and data files for all genes.
Developmental Proteome: Life Cycle
Developmental Proteome: Embryogenesis
External Data and Images
Linkouts
BDGP expression data - Patterns of gene expression in Drosophila embryogenesis
DRscDB - A single-cell RNA-seq resource for data mining and data comparison across species
EMBL-EBI Single Cell Expression Atlas - Single cell expression across species
FlyAtlas - Adult expression by tissue, using Affymetrix Dros2 array
FlyAtlas2 - A Drosophila melanogaster expression atlas with RNA-Seq, miRNA-Seq and sex-specific data
Fly-FISH - A database of Drosophila embryo and larvae mRNA localization patterns
Flygut - An atlas of the Drosophila adult midgut
Images
FlyExpress - Embryonic expression images (BDGP data)
  • Stages(s) 1-3
  • Stages(s) 11-12
FlyBase Wiki
Image Based Resources
Alleles, Insertions, Transgenic Constructs, and Aberrations
Classical and Insertion Alleles ( 6 )
For All Classical and Insertion Alleles Show
 
Other relevant insertions
Transgenic Constructs ( 2 )
For All Alleles Carried on Transgenic Constructs Show
Transgenic constructs containing/affecting coding region of blp
Transgenic constructs containing regulatory region of blp
Aberrations (Deficiencies and Duplications) ( 4 )
Variants
Variant Molecular Consequences
Alleles Representing Disease-Implicated Variants
Phenotypes
Orthologs
Downloads
Download All DIOPT Orthologs
Human Orthologs (via DIOPT v9.1)
Species\Gene Symbol
Score
Best Score
Best Reverse Score
Source
Compara
Domainoid
eggNOG
Hieranoid
Homologene
Inparanoid
OMA
OrthoDB
OrthoFinder
OrthoInspector
orthoMCL
Panther
Phylome
SonicParanoid
Alignment
Complementation?
Transgene?
Homo sapiens (Human) (4)
Hsap\PAM16
13 of 14
Yes
Yes
Hsap\CORO7-PAM16
1 of 14
No
No
Hsap\DNAJC15
1 of 14
No
No
Hsap\DNAJC19
1 of 14
No
No
1  
Model Organism Orthologs (via DIOPT v9.1)
Species\Gene Symbol
Score
Best Score
Best Reverse Score
Source
Compara
Domainoid
eggNOG
Hieranoid
Homologene
Inparanoid
OMA
OrthoDB
OrthoFinder
OrthoInspector
orthoMCL
Panther
Phylome
SonicParanoid
Alignment
Complementation?
Transgene?
Rattus norvegicus (Norway rat) (3)
Rnor\Pam16
14 of 14
Yes
Yes
Rnor\Magmas-ps1
10 of 14
No
Yes
Rnor\Dnajc15
1 of 14
No
No
Mus musculus (laboratory mouse) (4)
Mmus\Pam16
13 of 14
Yes
Yes
Mmus\Gm9803
11 of 14
No
Yes
Mmus\Dnajc15
1 of 14
No
No
Mmus\Dnajc19
1 of 14
No
No
Xenopus tropicalis (Western clawed frog) (2)
Xtro\pam16
10 of 13
Yes
Yes
Xtro\dnajc19
1 of 13
No
No
Danio rerio (Zebrafish) (2)
Drer\pam16
13 of 14
Yes
Yes
Drer\dnajc15
1 of 14
No
No
Caenorhabditis elegans (Nematode, roundworm) (2)
Cele\F45G2.8
14 of 14
Yes
Yes
Cele\sel-1
1 of 14
No
No
Anopheles gambiae (African malaria mosquito) (1)
Agam\AgaP_AGAP013212
12 of 12
Yes
Yes
Arabidopsis thaliana (thale-cress) (4)
Atha\AT5G61880
11 of 13
Yes
Yes
Atha\TXR1
11 of 13
Yes
Yes
Atha\AT2G35795
1 of 13
No
No
Atha\AT5G61865
1 of 13
No
Yes
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewer's yeast) (2)
Scer\PAM16
12 of 13
Yes
Yes
Scer\PAM18
1 of 13
No
No
Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Fission yeast) (2)
Spom\tim16
11 of 12
Yes
Yes
Spom\tim14
1 of 12
No
No
Escherichia coli (enterobacterium) (0)
Other Organism Orthologs (via OrthoDB)
Data provided directly from OrthoDB:blp. Refer to their site for version information.
Paralogs
Downloads
Download All DIOPT Paralogs
Paralogs (via DIOPT v9.1)
Gene Symbol
Score
Source
Compara
Domainoid
eggNOG
Homologene
Inparanoid
OMA
OrthoDB
OrthoFinder
OrthoInspector
orthoMCL
Panther
Phylome
SonicParanoid
Alignment
Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) (1)
CG1409
12 of 13
Human Disease Associations
FlyBase Human Disease Model Reports
    Disease Ontology (DO) Annotations
    Models Based on Experimental Evidence ( 0 )
    Allele
    Disease
    Evidence
    References
    Potential Models Based on Orthology ( 1 )
    Modifiers Based on Experimental Evidence ( 0 )
    Allele
    Disease
    Interaction
    References
    Disease Associations of Human Orthologs (via DIOPT v9.1 and OMIM)
    Note that ortholog calls supported by only 1 or 2 algorithms (DIOPT score < 3) are not shown.
    Homo sapiens (Human)
    Gene name
    Score
    OMIM
    OMIM Phenotype
    DO term
    Complementation?
    Transgene?
    PAM16; presequence translocase associated motor 16
    13 of 14
    614336
    Functional Complementation Data
    Functional complementation data is computed by FlyBase using a combination of the orthology data obtained from DIOPT and OrthoDB and the allele-level genetic interaction data curated from the literature.
    Interactions
    Summary of Physical Interactions
    Interaction Browsers
    Summary of Genetic Interactions
    Interaction Browsers
    Starting gene(s)
    Interaction type
    Interacting gene(s)
    Reference
    Starting gene(s)
    Interaction type
    Interacting gene(s)
    Reference
    External Data
    Subunit Structure (UniProtKB)
    Probable component of the PAM complex at least composed of a mitochondrial HSP70 protein, Roe1, TIM44, blp/TIM16 and TIM14. Associates with the TIM23 complex.
    (UniProt, Q9VF08 )
    Linkouts
    DroID - A comprehensive database of gene and protein interactions.
    MIST (protein-protein) - An integrated Molecular Interaction Database
    Pathways
    Signaling Pathways (FlyBase)
    Metabolic Pathways
    FlyBase
    External Links
    External Data
    Linkouts
    Class of Gene
    Genomic Location and Detailed Mapping Data
    Chromosome (arm)
    3R
    Recombination map
    3-58
    Cytogenetic map
    89A8-89A8
    Sequence location
    FlyBase Computed Cytological Location
    Cytogenetic map
    Evidence for location
    89A8-89A8
    Limits computationally determined from genome sequence between P{PZ}l(3)0653606536 and P{PZ}blp01618
    Experimentally Determined Cytological Location
    Cytogenetic map
    Notes
    References
    89A8-89A9
    (Buchner, 2000.7.26, BDGP Project Members, 1994-1999)
    89A8-89A9
    (determined by in situ hybridisation)
    (Spradling et al., 1999, Perrimon et al., 1996)
    Experimentally Determined Recombination Data
    Location

    3-58

    (FlyBase, 2016)

    3-57.8

    (Comeron et al., 2012)
    Left of (cM)
    Right of (cM)
    Notes
    Stocks and Reagents
    Stocks (6)
    Genomic Clones (30)
    cDNA Clones (39)
     

    Please Note This section lists cDNAs and ESTs that fall within the genomic extent of the gene model, which may include cDNAs and ESTs of genes within introns, or of overlapping genes. Please see JBrowse for alignment of the cDNAs and ESTs to the gene model.

    cDNA clones, fully sequenced
    BDGP DGC clones
    Other clones
    Drosophila Genomics Resource Center cDNA clones

    For each fully sequenced cDNA the DGRC maintains various forms of the cDNA (e.g tagged or untagged) in several different host vectors for subsequent cloning and expression in Drosophila and Drosophila cell lines.

    cDNA Clones, End Sequenced (ESTs)
    BDGP DGC clones
    Other clones
    RNAi and Array Information
    Linkouts
    DRSC - Results frm RNAi screens
    Antibody Information
    Laboratory Generated Antibodies
     
    Commercially Available Antibodies
     
    Cell Line Information
    Publicly Available Cell Lines
     
      Other Stable Cell Lines
       
        Other Comments

        blp is specifically required for larval growth.

        (Becker et al., 2001)

        The autosomal "FLP-DFS" technique (using the P{ovoD1-18} P{FRT(whs)} P{hsFLP} chromosomes) has been used to identify the specific maternal effect phenotype for the zygotic lethal mutation.

        (Perrimon et al., 1996)
        Relationship to Other Genes
        Source for database merge of

        Source for merge of: blp l(3)01618

        (Becker et al., 2001)

        Source for merge of: blp BcDNA:RE11908

        (FlyBase, 1996-)
        Additional comments

        Source for merge of blp BcDNA:RE11908 was TrEMBL update ( date:020807 ).

        (FlyBase, 1996-)

        Source for identity of blp CG5268 was sequence comparison ( date:010111 ).

        (FlyBase, 1996-)
        Nomenclature History
        Source for database identify of

        Source for identity of: blp CG5268

        (FlyBase, 1996-)
        Nomenclature comments
        Etymology

        The gene is named "black pearl" after the mutant phenotype; homozygous escapers have melanotic inclusions ("black pearls") in the haemocoel.

        (Becker et al., 2001)
        Synonyms and Secondary IDs (8)
        Datasets (0)
        Study focus (0)
        Experimental Role
        Project
        Project Type
        Title
        Study result (0)
        Result
        Result Type
        Title
        External Crossreferences and Linkouts ( 37 )
        Sequence Crossreferences
        NCBI Gene - Gene integrates information from a wide range of species. A record may include nomenclature, Reference Sequences (RefSeqs), maps, pathways, variations, phenotypes, and links to genome-, phenotype-, and locus-specific resources worldwide.
        GenBank Nucleotide - A collection of sequences from several sources, including GenBank, RefSeq, TPA, and PDB.
        GenBank Protein - A collection of sequences from several sources, including translations from annotated coding regions in GenBank, RefSeq and TPA, as well as records from SwissProt, PIR, PRF, and PDB.
        RefSeq - A comprehensive, integrated, non-redundant, well-annotated set of reference sequences including genomic, transcript, and protein.
        UniProt/GCRP - The gene-centric reference proteome (GCRP) provides a 1:1 mapping between genes and UniProt accessions in which a single 'canonical' isoform represents the product(s) of each protein-coding gene.
        UniProt/Swiss-Prot - Manually annotated and reviewed records of protein sequence and functional information
        UniProt/TrEMBL - Automatically annotated and unreviewed records of protein sequence and functional information
        Other crossreferences
        AlphaFold DB - AlphaFold provides open access to protein structure predictions for the human proteome and other key proteins of interest, to accelerate scientific research.
        BDGP expression data - Patterns of gene expression in Drosophila embryogenesis
        DRscDB - A single-cell RNA-seq resource for data mining and data comparison across species
        EMBL-EBI Single Cell Expression Atlas - Single cell expression across species
        FlyAtlas2 - A Drosophila melanogaster expression atlas with RNA-Seq, miRNA-Seq and sex-specific data
        FlyMine - An integrated database for Drosophila genomics
        InterPro - A database of protein families, domains and functional sites
        KEGG Genes - Molecular building blocks of life in the genomic space.
        MARRVEL_MODEL - MARRVEL (model organism gene)
        Linkouts
        Drosophila Genomics Resource Center - Drosophila Genomics Resource Center (DGRC) cDNA clones
        DroID - A comprehensive database of gene and protein interactions.
        DRSC - Results frm RNAi screens
        Eukaryotic Promoter Database - A collection of databases of experimentally validated promoters for selected model organisms.
        FlyAtlas - Adult expression by tissue, using Affymetrix Dros2 array
        FlyCyc Genes - Genes from a BioCyc PGDB for Dmel
        Fly-FISH - A database of Drosophila embryo and larvae mRNA localization patterns
        Flygut - An atlas of the Drosophila adult midgut
        iBeetle-Base - RNAi phenotypes in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum)
        MIST (protein-protein) - An integrated Molecular Interaction Database
        References (45)