Developmental expression and enzymatic activity of pre-mRNA deaminase in Drosophila melanogaster.

Pre-mRNA editing, conducted by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR), plays an important role in many biological/physiological processes. This post-transcriptional event creates protein diversity that stems from a single gene via alteration of either genetic codons or alternative splicing sites. Our data demonstrate that both expression of Drosophila ADAR (dADAR) gene and dADAR editing activity are highly regulated during development. The lack of editing activity during embryonic development and the CNS-limited expression of dADAR in the adult may specify its important role in maintaining neuronal function in the Drosophila CNS.