Biochemical and genetic analysis of the PPP family of protein phosphatases in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the favorite model animals of biology. A detailed genetic map, large number of mutants, and the recent completion of the Drosophila genome project offer excellent possibilities for the analysis of gene functions in this organism. In the present communication we report on a database survey for putative catalytic and regulatory subunits of the PPP family of protein phosphatases. Based on sequence similarities we identified 4 novel catalytic subunits and a large number of up till now uncharacterized protein partners that may interact with the catalytic subunits. Our results provide a solid structural starting point for the development of intelligent experimental strategies aimed to unravel the role of these proteins in cellular regulation.