title: Dosage-sensitive maternal modifiers of the drosophila segmentation gene runt.
abstract: The protein encoded by the pair-rule gene runt functions as a transcriptional regulator during anterior-posterior patterning of the Drosophila embryo. Results of over-expression experiments as well as parallels drawn from the recent characterization of vertebrate homologues indicate that interactions with other proteins are likely to be central to the function of the Runt protein. To identify factors important for runt activity, we took advantage of an adult visible phenotype observed in animals heterozygous for runt mutations. Using a set of 126 different deficiency chromosomes we screened approximately 65% of the genome for genes that act as dose-sensitive maternal modifiers of runt. Eighteen deficiencies representing 12 putative loci were identified as maternally acting enhancers of runt haplo-insufficiency. Further characterization of two of these regions led to the identification of the interacting loci. Both of these loci affect the spatial regulation of runt transcription and appear genetically complex. Furthermore, the effects of one of these loci, M(1)1B, is indirect and mediated through effects on the transcriptional regulation of posterior gap genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794-5215, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gergen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005854:Germ Cells; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C080833:run protein, Drosophila