In an effort to identify genes critical to human heart development that are also expressed in other tissues, a screen for genes with cardiac-specific cis-regulatory elements was conducted in human. Identified candidate genes were assessed using orthologous genes in animal models, including Drosophila. The human ribosomal protein gene RPL14 was identified in this screen; the orthololgous Drosophila gene is RpL14. Multiple genetic reagents have been generated for Dmel\RpL14 including RNAi-targeting constructs, overexpression constructs, and alleles caused by insertional mutagenesis.
The human RPL14 gene has not been introduced into flies.
The RpL14 gene is haploinsufficient: heterozygous mutants display the 'Minute' phenotype, characterized by a slower developmental rate and small adult bristles. Severe loss-of-function genotypes result in embryonic lethality. Knockdown of Dmel\RpL14 specifically in developing cardiac cells, effected by RNAi, results in detectable heart development defects in larvae and 100% lethality by the third larval instar stage.
[updated Feb. 2022 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]
Ribosomes, the organelles that catalyze protein synthesis, consist of a small 40S subunit and a large 60S subunit. RPS24 encodes a ribosomal protein that is a component of the 60S subunit. [Gene Cards, RPL14; 2022.02.06]
One to one: 1 human gene to 1 Drosophila gene.
High-scoring ortholog of human RPL14 (1 Drosophila to 1 human).