Nomenclature, functional diversity and evolution of Drosophila UDP-glycosyltransferase multigene family

UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are important conjugation enzymes found in all kingdoms of life, catalyzing a sugar conjugation with small lipophilic compounds and playing a crucial role in detoxification and homeostasis. The UGT gene family is defined by a signature motif in the C-terminal domain where the uridine diphosphate (UDP)-sugar donor binds. UGTs have been identified in a number of insect genomes over the last decade and much progress has been achieved in characterizing their expression patterns and molecular functions. Here, we present a revised list of Drosophila melanogaster UGT genes and provide an overview of recent research. A total of 35 UGT genes are found in the D. melanogaster genome, localized to chromosomes 2 and 3 with a high degree of gene duplications on chromosome arm 3R. All D. melanogaster UGT genes have now been named following the unified nomenclature approved by the UGT nomenclature committee, thereby facilitating comparisons between species. Extended searches reveal that similar numbers of UGT genes are present in other Drosophila species, and comparative phylogenetic analyses suggest an overall high conservation as well as some species-specific gene duplications and losses. Research findings have included the demonstration of roles for specific Drosophila UGTs in detoxification, olfaction, and cold tolerance. Together, the updated genomic information and research overview provided herein will aid further research in this developing field.