A simple and efficient method to identify replacements of P-lacZ by P-Gal4 lines allows obtaining Gal4 insertions in the bithorax complex of Drosophila.
The functional replacement of one gene product by another one is a powerful method to study specificity in development and evolution. In Drosophila, the Gal4/UAS method has been used to analyze in vivo such functional substitutions. To this aim, Gal4 lines that inactivate a gene and reproduce its expression pattern are required, and they can be frequently obtained by replacing pre-existing P-lacZ lines with such characteristics. We have devised a new method to quickly identify replacements of P-lacZ lines by P-Gal4 lines, and applied it successfully to obtain Gal4 insertions in the Ultrabithorax and Abdominal-B Hox genes. We have used these lines to study the functional replacement of a Hox gene by another one. Our experiments confirm that the abdominal-A gene can replace Ultrabithorax in haltere development but that it cannot substitute for Abdominal-B in the formation of the genitalia.
de Navas
Luis
L
Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Foronda
David
D
Suzanne
Magali
M
Sánchez-Herrero
Ernesto
E
D000818:Animals; D003116:Color; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics*; D006579:Heterozygote; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007763:Lac Operon / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C052130:GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066177:Ubx protein, Drosophila