Dosage requirements for runt in the segmentation of Drosophila embryos.
The runt gene is required in a Drosophila embryo for normal segmentation. We investigate this requirement by analyzing runt mutations of varying strength and by manipulating wild-type gene dosage. Elimination of runt causes periodic deletions in the segmentation pattern which are spaced at two segment intervals along the antero-posterior axis. The pattern deletions produced by partial loss of function mutations and by halving the normal wild-type gene dosage reveal a gradation in the requirement for runt, with the centers of the affected regions being most sensitive to deletion. Significantly, increased runt+ dosage causes an anti-runt phenotype consisting of periodic pattern deletions that are out of phase with those caused by runt mutations.
Gergen
J P
JP
Wieschaus
E
E
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D007814:Larva / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype