A screen for dominant modifiers of the irreC-rst cell death phenotype in the developing Drosophila retina.
Programmed cell death (PCD) in the Drosophila retina requires activity of the irregular chiasmC-roughest (irreC-rst) gene. Loss-of-function mutations in irreC-rst block PCD during retinal development and lead to a rough eye phenotype in the adult. To identify genes that interact with irreC-rst and may be involved in PCD, we conducted a genetic screen for dominant enhancers and suppressors of the adult rough eye phenotype. We screened 150,000 mutagenized flies and recovered 170 dominant modifiers that localized primarily to the second and third chromosomes. At least two allelic groups correspond to previously identified death regulators, Delta and dRas1. Examination of retinae from homozygous viable mutants indicated two major phenotypic classes. One class exhibited pleiotropic defects while the other class exhibited defects specific to the cell population that normally undergoes PCD.
Tanenbaum
S B
SB
Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Gorski
S M
SM
Rusconi
J C
JC
Cagan
R L
RL
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D013489:Suppression, Genetic
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C085209:rst protein, Drosophila