The relationship between the dominant Additional vein mutant in Drosophila melanogaster and engrailed.
Additional vein (Adv) is a dominant mutation that affects the first wing vein in Drosophila. It also manifests a recessive lethal phenotype and is associated with a large inversion. Using a combination of genetic and cytogenetic techniques, we show that Adv interacts with engrailed (en), likely because one of the inversion breakpoints interferes with en function. Genetic interaction studies reveal that Adv is lethal in trans with various lethal alleles of en and gives an engrailed-like wing phenotype with weak alleles of en. In situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes using en cDNA demonstrates that one of the inversion breakpoints lies within the en coding region. Although the cause of the wing phenotype is not determined herein, it likely is caused by the other inversion breakpoint interfering with a different function. The characterization of this mutation could expedite studies to understand what molecular events result in the Adv phenotype and thereby provide insight into the development of the first wing vein in Drosophila.
Srivastava
Ajay
A
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
Heise
Christina
C
Garg
Ankush
A
Bell
John B
JB
D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014921:Wings, Animal
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C063459:En protein, Drosophila; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors