Subject: debcl and CG12397
Dear FlyBasers:
I would like to report an error in the definition of CG12397. The
sequence in the database is a composite of two genes 1) debcl and 2)
a zinc finger transcription factor just adjacent to the terminus of
debcl. I have isolated an EST that starts 250 bases downstream of
the defined debcl gene. This corresponds to the start of the zinc
finger protein that is not part of debcl. The zinc finger coding
gene is likely to terminate at the end of the defined CG12397, but
CG12397 as currently defined also includes the upstream debcl
sequence, identified in several labs. The error is reflected in
sequences in GadFly and NCBI. The reason for this error is that the
very end of the debcl sequence appears to have a splice site 'GT'
start site that predicts that the 3' end of the debcl gene is spliced
out. I believe there is enough evidence in the literature for the
debcl terminus to conclude that this GT does not start an intron. If
in fact it does, then debcl is an alternatively spliced gene that
includes a C-terminal zinc finger. I don't think this is true,
particularly based on my EST sequence, and therefore suggest that
CG12397 be redefined.
Sincerely,
Tom Brody