The genetic analysis of mlpA, a gene encoding a myosin-like protein in Physarum polycephalum.

A cDNA clone encoding a myosin-like protein has been detected by screening a ?gtll expression library with antibodies specific to a myosin-like protein extracted from Physarum amoebae. The clone, mlpA, encodes a polypeptide which is expressed in both cell stages in Physarum, and which shows significant homology to the myosin heavy chain rod domain of Dictyostelium discoideum. Genetic analysis has determined that there is a single gene that encodes mlpA in Physarum, and that this gene is not related to a mutation, hts-23, analysed in earlier work.