Abstract
A homologue of 19 kDa signal recognition particle locus (SRP19) was cloned and molecularly characterized in Drosophila melanogaster. It is located in the 65F region of the left arm on the third chromosome, approx. 500 bp 5' of the quemao locus. The SRP19 transcript was determined from cDNA clones, Northern blot analysis, and the 5' rapid amplification of cDNA end method. SRP19 was expressed in all the developmental stages of Drosophila. The predicted amino acid sequence (163 aa) shows that SRP19 of Drosophila shares 44%, 29%, 17% and 19% identity with the homologues from human, rice and two yeast species (Saccharomyces and Yarrowia), respectively. The most conserved amino acid residues across these species are located at those sites required for in vitro association with the 7S RNA component of the SRP.
