Pelota Homolog (PELO)

The PELO cDNA encodes a 385-amino acid protein with a conserved nuclear localization signal. It shares 70%, 57%, and 36% sequence identity with Drosophila pelota protein, C. elegans R74.6, and yeast DOM34, respectively. By Northern blot analysis, Shamsadin et al. (2000) detected a 1.6-kb PELO transcript in all tissues tested as well as a 2.0-kb testis-specific transcript. By dot blot analysis, Lai et al. (2000) detected PELO expression most abundantly in fetal kidney, spleen, and lung, and in placenta, lung, spleen, kidney, and adrenal gland. studies of the Drosophila pelota gene indicate a role in spermatogenesis, mitotic division, and patterning, and that mutations in the related yeast DOM34 gene result in disturbances in the cell cycle and in meiotic cell division.