Abstract
Using degenerate oligonucleotides from conserved portions of the ATP-binding domain of the active transporter genes, a new member of this gene superfamily has been cloned from Drosophila DNA. The gene contains two sets of transmembrane domains and two ATP-binding domains and shows a high degree of similarity to the mammalian P-glycoprotein/multidrug resistance (MDR) genes. The gene is adjacent to Hsc5, a locus mapped to chromosome 2, band 50, and is named Mdr50. Mdr50 represents the third MDR homolog identified in Drosophila. Conservation in the position of intervening sequences between Mdr50 and the human MDR genes provides further evidence for their common origin.
