2010: A century of Drosophila genetics through the prism of the white gene.
In January 1910, a century ago, Thomas Hunt Morgan discovered his first Drosophila mutant, a white-eyed male (Morgan 1910). Morgan named the mutant gene white and soon demonstrated that it resided on the X chromosome. This was the first localization of a specific gene to a particular chromosome. Thus began Drosophila experimental genetics. The story of the initial work on white is well known but what is less well appreciated is the multiplicity of ways in which this gene has been used to explore fundamental questions in genetics. Here, I review some of the highlights of a century's productive use of white in Drosophila genetics.
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Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA. kcburtis@ucdavis.edu
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history*; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics; D049673:History, 20th Century; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; C059254:w protein, Drosophila; D004247:DNA