A cDNA from the green alga Spermatozopsis similis encodes a protein with homology to the newly discovered Roadblock/LC7 family of dynein-associated proteins.
A clone, designated as B15, was isolated from a cDNA library of the unicellular green alga Spermatozopsis similis and characterised. The deduced amino acid sequence of its open reading frame exhibits high homology to members of the recently discovered roadblock/LC7 protein family (robl/LC7) of dynein-associated proteins. Homologies were highest to a robl/LC7-member from human testis (86%, identity 56%) and to the roadblock protein of Drosophila (88%, identity 52%). Data bank analyses revealed no homologies to known higher plant proteins. B15 is a single copy gene in the genome of Sperm-latozopsis and its transcript was detectable throughout the cell cycle.