Identifying tumor suppressors in genetic mosaics: the Drosophila lats gene encodes a putative protein kinase

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Abstract
We have identified recessive overproliferation mutations by screening and examining clones of mutant cells in genetic mosaics of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. This type of screen provides a powerful approach for identifying and studying potential tumor suppressors. One of the identified genes, lats, has been cloned and encodes a putative protein kinase that shares high levels of sequence similarity with three proteins in budding yeast and Neu-rospora that are involved in regulation of the cell cycle and growth. Mutations in lats cause dramatic overproliferation phenotypes and various developmental defects in both mosaic animals and homozygous mutants.