A family of genes encoding membrane proteins with a unique structure has been identified in DNA and cDNA clones of various eukaryotes ranging from yeast to human. The nucleotide sequences of three novel cDNAs from Drosophila melanogaster and mouse were determined. The amino acid sequences of the two mouse proteins have human homologs. The gene (TMS1) encoding the yeast member of this family was disrupted, and the resulting mutant showed no significant phenotype under several stress conditions. The expression of the mouse genes TMS-1 and TMS-2 was examined by in situ hybridization of sections from brain, liver, kidney, heart and testis of an adult mouse as well as in a 1-day-old whole mouse. While the expression of TMS-2 was found to be restricted to the central nervous system, TMS-1 was also expressed in kidney and testis. The expression of TMS-1 and TMS-2 in the brain overlapped and was localized to areas associated with glutamatergic excitatory neurons, such as the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. High-magnification analysis indicated that both mRNAs are expressed in neurons. Semiquantitative analysis of mRNA expression was performed in various parts of the brain. The conservation, unique structure and localization in the mammalian brain of this novel protein family suggest an important biological role.
In the field: an interview with Harald Wolf
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In our new Conversation, Harald Wolf talks about his fieldwork experiences working with desert ants in Tunisia to understand their navigation.
Propose a new Workshop
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Our Workshops bring together leading experts and early-career researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Applications are now open to propose Workshops for 2024, one of which will be held in a Global South country.
Julian Dow steps down and John Terblanche joins the JEB team
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After 15 years with the journal, Julian Dow from University of Glasgow, UK, is stepping down as a Monitoring Editor. We wish Julian all the best for the future and welcome John Terblanche, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, who is joining the team. Julian talks about his long association with The Company of Biologists and the journal and John tells us about his life and career in this News article.
Ecotourism affecting iguana glucose tolerance
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Ecotourists feeding grapes on skewers to north Bahamian rock iguanas may be doing the reptiles more harm than good as the sugar charged diet is giving the animals high blood sugar.
Evolution of metabolic plasticity
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In their Commentary, Frank Seebacher and Julian Beaman propose that metabolic plasticity originated in prebiotic protocells and that it was a pre-requisite for effective transfer of genetic material across generations – the hallmark of Darwinian evolution.
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