A new family of cognate glycoproteins with chitinase-sensitive carbohydrate moiety, chitinoproteins (ChiP) has been detected in Drosophila melanogaster and other insects. ChiP localisation in a variety of tissues of D. melanogaster was shown to be developmentally regulated, thus providing an opportunity to study the regulation of tissue specific ChiP gene expression. ChiP proved to be secreted both by cultured cells and in vivo, not only by epidermal and blood cells but also by follicle cells into the oöcyte. This suggests that ChiP have multiple functions in insect morphogenesis, including participation in cuticle and extracellular matrix formation, as well as in oögenesis.

The following biochemical and genetic studies will therefore be carried out: analysis of the carbohydrate structure of the glycosylation mechanism, including assignment to a particular cellular compartment of different steps of biosynthesis; and microsequencing of ChiP polypeptide to enable cloning of the gene by means of screening of a cDNA library with oligonucleotide probes or PCR-mediated approach. Chromosomal localisation of the gene and isolation of mutants may be an approach to elucidate ChiP functions.