Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pattern as a function of cell number and cell size on the second-leg basitarsus ofDrosophila

  • Published:
Wilhelm Roux's archives of developmental biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The bristle pattern of the second-leg basitarsus inDrosophila melanogaster was studied as a function of the number and size of the cells on this segment in well-fed and starved wild-type flies, in triploid flies, and in two mutants (dachs andfour-jointed) that have abnormally short basitarsi. The second-leg basitarsi of well-fed, wild-type flies from 22 otherDrosophila species were studied in a similar manner. There are typically 8 longitudinal rows of evenly-spaced bristles on the second-leg basitarsus, and in each row the number of bristles was consistently found to vary in proportion to the estimated number of cells along the segment, and the interval between bristles was found to vary in proportion to the average cell diameter on the segment. These correlations are interpreted to mean that the spacing of the bristles within each row is controlled developmentally, whereas the number of bristles is not. The interval between bristles is evidently measured either as a fixed number of cells or as a distance which indirectly depends upon cell diameter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beadle, G.W., Tatum, E.L., Clancy, C.W.: Food level in relation to rate of development and eye pigmentation inDrosophila melanogaster. Biol. Bull.75, 447–462 (1938)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohn, H.: Interkalare Regeneration und segmentale Gradienten bei den Extremitäten vonLeucophaea-Larven (Blattaria). I. Femur und Tibia. Wilhelm Roux's Archives165, 303–341 (1970a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohn, H.: Interkalare Regeneration und segmentale Gradienten bei den Extremitäten vonLeucophaea-Larven (Blattaria). II. Coxa und Tarsus. Dev. Biol.23, 355–379 (1970b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohn, H.: Interkalare Regeneration und segmentale Gradienten bei den Extremitäten vonLeucophaea-Larven (Blattaria). III. Die Herkunft des interkalaren Regenerates. Wilhelm Roux's Archives167, 209–221 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohn, H.: Regeneration of proximal tissues from a more distal amputation level in the insect leg (Blaberus craniifer, Blattaria). Dev. Biol.53, 285–293 (1976)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, P.J.: Regeneration and duplication following operationsin situ on the imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster. Dev. Biol.26, 637–651 (1971)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bullière, D.: Utilisation de la régénération intercalaire pour l'étude de la détermination cellulaire au cours de la morphogenèse chezBlabera craniifer (Insecte Dictyoptère). Dev. Biol.25, 672–709 (1971)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bullière, D., Sengel, P.: Nouvelles données sur la détermination qualitative des cellules au cours de la régénération chez les Insectes. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris)270, 2556–2559 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, H.L., Hardy, D.E., Spieth, H.T., Stone, W.S.: The evolutionary biology of the Hawaiian Drosophilidae. In: Essays in evolution and genetics (M.K. Hecht and W.C. Steere, eds.), pp. 437–543. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Claxton, J.H.: The determination of patterns with special reference to that of the central primary skin follicles in sheep. J. Theor. Biol.7, 302–317 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Claxton, J.H.: Patterns of abdominal tergite bristles in wild-type andscute Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics55, 525–545 (1967)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Claxton, J.H.: Some quantitative features ofDrosophila sternite bristle patterns. Aust. J. Biol. Sci.27, 533–543 (1974)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Claxton, J.H.: Developmental origin of even spacing between the microchaetes ofDrosophila melanogaster. Aust. J. Biol. Sci.29, 131–135 (1976)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, J.: The emergence and regulation of spatial organization in early animal development. Annu. Rev. Biophys. Bioeng.4, 185–217 (1975)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dobzhansky, T.: The influence of the quantity and quality of chromosomal material on the size of the cells inDrosophila melanogaster. Wilhelm Roux's Archives115, 363–379 (1929)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fankhauser, G.: The role of nucleus and cytoplasm. In: Analysis of development (B.H. Willier, P.A. Weiss, and V. Hamburger, eds.), pp. 126–150. New York: Hafner 1955

    Google Scholar 

  • French, V.: Leg regeneration in the cockroach,Blattella germanica. I. Regeneration from a congruent tibial graft/host junction. Wilhelm Roux's Archives179, 57–76 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • French, V., Bryant, P.J., Bryant, S.V.: Pattern regulation in epimorphic fields. Science193, 969–981 (1976)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fristrom, D.: The mechanism of evagination of imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster. III. Evidence for cell rearrangement. Dev. Biol.54, 163–171 (1976)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fristrom, D., Fristrom, J.W.: The mechanism of evagination of imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster. I. General considerations. Dev. Biol.43, 1–23 (1975)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gierer, A.: Biological features and physical concepts of pattern formation exemplified by hydra. Curr. Top. Dev. Biol.11, 17–59 (1977)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hannah-Alava, A.: Morphology and chaetotaxy of the legs ofDrosophila melanogaster. J. Morphol.103, 281–310 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • Held, L.I. Jr.: A high-resolution morphogenetic map of the second-leg basitarsus inDrosophila melanogaster. Wilhelm Roux's Archives 187, 129–150 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollingsworth, M.J.: Sex-combs of intersexes and the arrangement of the chaetae on the legs ofDrosophila. J. Morphol.115, 35–51 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Humason, G.L.: ‘Animal Tissue Techniques’, 3rd edn. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman 1972

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, L.-W., Gerhart, J.C.: Dependence of transdetermination frequency on the developmental stage of cultured imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster. Dev. Biol.35, 62–82 (1973)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lees, A.D., Waddington, C.H.: The development of the bristles in normal and some mutant types ofDrosophila melanogaster. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. [Biol.]131, 87–110 (1942)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsley, D.L., Greel, E.H.: Genetic variations ofDrosophila melanogaster. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Inst. of Washington Publication No. 627 1968

  • Maynard-Smith, J., Sondhi, K.C.: The arrangement of bristles inDrosophila. J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol.9, 661–672 (1961)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A.: The internal anatomy and histology of the imago ofDrosophila melanogaster. In: Biology ofDrosophila (M. Demerec, ed.), pp. 420–534. New York: Hafner 1950

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, J.T., Stone, W.S.: ‘Evolution in the GenusDrosophila’. New York: Macmillan 1952

    Google Scholar 

  • Poodry, C.A., Schneiderman, H.A.: Pattern formation inDrosophila melanogaster: the effects of mutations on polarity in the developing leg. Wilhelm Roux's Archives180, 175–188 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Postlethwait, J.H., Schneiderman, H.A.: Pattern formation in imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster after irradiation of embryos and young larvae. Dev. Biol.32, 345–360 (1973)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, C.T., Murphy, C., Fristom, D.: The ultrastructure of the differentiating pupal leg ofDrosophila melanogaster. Wilhelm Roux's Archives178, 285–302 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, F.W.: Studies in quantitative inheritance. XII. Cell size and number in relation to genetic and environmental variation of body size inDrosophila. Genetics44, 869–896 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schubiger, G.: Regeneration, duplication, and transdetermination in fragments of the leg disc ofDrosophila melanogaster. Dev. Biol.26, 277–295 (1971)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, V.K., Bryant, P.J.: Intercalary leg regeneration in the large milkweed bugOncopeltus fasciatus. Dev. Biol.45, 187–191 (1975)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, E.: Establishment of compartments in the developing leg imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster. Wilhelm Roux's Archives180, 9–30 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Strub, S.: Developmental potentials of the cells of the male foreleg disc ofDrosophila. I. Pattern regulation in intact fragments. Wilhelm Roux's Archives181, 309–320 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Strub, S.: Leg regneration in insects: an experimental analysis inDrosophila and a new interpretation. Dev. Biol.69, 31–45 (1979)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Throckmorton, L.H.: The phylogeny, ecology, and geography ofDrosophila. In: Handbook of genetics (R.D. King, ed.), Vol. 3, pp. 421–469. New York: Plenum Press 1975

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobler, H.: Beeinflussung der Borstendifferenzierung und Musterbildung durch Mitomycin beiDrosophila melanogaster. Experentia25, 213–214 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobler, H., Maier, V.: Effect of nitrogen mustard on the development of the bristle organ and on the rate of transdetermination ofDrosophila melanogaster. Wilhelm Roux's Archives164, 303–312 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobler, H., Rothenbühler, V., Nöthiger, R.: A study of the differentiation of bracts inDrosophila melanogaster using two mutations,H 2 andsv de.Experentia29, 370–371 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tokunaga, C., Gerhart, J.C.: The effect of growth and joint formation on bristle pattern inD. melanogaster. J. Exp. Zool.198, 79–96 (1976)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turing, A.M.: The chemical basis of morphogenesis. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London [Biol.]237, 37–72 (1952)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weesner, F.M.: ‘General Zoological Microtechniques’. Huntington, N.Y.: R.E. Krueger 1960

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, M.R., Hamilton, N.: Catalog ofDrosophila species names, 1959–1971. In: Studies in Genetics (M.R. Wheeler, ed.), Vol. 7, pp. 257–268. Houston, Texas: Univ. Texas Publ. 7213 1972

  • Wigglesworth, V.B.: Local and general factors in the development of ‘pattern’ inRhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera). J. Exp. Zool.17, 180–200 (1940)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolpert, L.: Positional information and the spatial pattern of cellular differentiation. J. Theor. Biol.25, 1–47 (1969)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Lewis Irving Held Jr.

    Present address: Center for Pathobiology, University of California, 92717, Irvine, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, California, USA

    Lewis Irving Held Jr.

Authors
  1. Lewis Irving Held Jr.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Held, L.I. Pattern as a function of cell number and cell size on the second-leg basitarsus ofDrosophila . Wilhelm Roux' Archiv 187, 105–127 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848266

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848266

Key words

Search

Navigation