Identification of storage-protein messenger RNA of the fleshfly Sarcophaga peregrina.

Storage-protein mRNA was found to be abundant in poly(A)-containing RNA extracted from the fat-body of third-instar larvae of Sarcophaga peregrina (fleshfly). This RNA sedimented at the position of 19S on sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation and the product of its translation in vitro was 75K protein (protein of mol.wt. 75 000), which was precipitated specifically with antibody against storage protein. This product was suggested to contain a signal sequence that is missing in mature storage protein. The poly(A)-containing RNA was also found to contain much of another mRNA coding for 25K protein (protein of mol.wt. 25 000), but the function of this protein is unknown.