Summary
Fused is a segmentation gene belonging to the segment-polarity class. Mutations at thefused locus are known to display pleiotropic effects, causing zygotically determined anomalies of ovaries and of some adult cuticular structures, and maternally determined embryonic segmentation defects. In order to determine the amorphic phenotype offused and to study the genetical basis of its pleiotropy, newfused alleles (18 viable and 11 lethal) were isolated. The phenotype of these mutants and of others already known are described, taking into account zygotic and maternal effects. The main results provided by this analysis are as follows. Firstly, allfused alleles show the whole complex fused phenotype, and a good correlation is observed between the strength of the wing and segmentation defects, suggesting that a single function is involved in both processes. Secondly, all embryonic and larval lethals carry deficiencies which allow us to localizefused between the 17C4 and 17D2 bands of the X-chromosome. Thirdly, the 24 viable and 2 pupal lethals examined behave as point mutants, as shown cytologically or by Southern blot analysis. However, only one of them, the pupal lethalfu mH63 was proven to carry a nullfused allele, since it displays in germ-line clones a strong maternal phenotype and a very low zygotic rescue, similar to those of the small deficiencyDf(1)fu z4. The phenotype of the amorphic mutant indicates that zygotic ezpression offused is required for normal metamorphosis, while maternal expression is necessary for a normal segmentation pattern, since a complete loss offused expression during oogenesis cannot be compensated zygotically.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker NE (1987) Molecular cloning of sequences fromwingless, a segment polarity gene inDrosophila: the spatial distribution of a transcript in embryos. EMBO J 6:1765–1773
Bodenstein D, King RC (1963) Autonomy offu andfes ovarian implants. Dros Inf Serv 37:65
Busson D, Gans M, Komitopoulou K, Masson M (1983) Genetic analysis of three dominant female-sterile mutations located on the X chromosome ofDrosophila melanogaster. Genetics 105:309–325
Clancy CW, Beadle GW (1937) Ovary transplants inDrosophila melanogaster: studies of the characters singed, fused, and female-sterile Biol Bull 72:47–56
Counce SJ (1956) Studies on female-sterility genes inDrosophila melanogaster. II. The effects of the genefused on embryonic development. Z Indukt Abst Vereb 87:462–481
Fausto-Sterling A (1971) On the timing and place of action during embryogenesis of the female-sterile mutantsfused andrudimentary (Drosophila melanogaster). Dev Biol 26:452–463
Fausto-Sterling A (1978) Pattern formation in the wing veins of thefused mutant (Drosophila melanogaster) Dev Biol 63:358–369
Gans M, Audit C, Masson M (1975) Isolation and characterization of sex-linked female-sterile mutants inDrosophila melanogaster. Genetics 81:683–704
Garcia-Bellido A, Santamaria P (1972) Developmental analysis of the wing disk in the mutantengrailed ofDrosophila melanogaster. Genetics 72:87–104
Gergen JP, Wieschaus EF (1986) Localized requirements for gene activity in segmentation ofDrosophila embryos: analysis ofarmadillo, fused, giant andunpaired mutations in mosaic embryos. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 195:49–62
Grau Y, Simpson P (1987) The segment polarity genecostal 2 inDrosophila. I. The organization of both primary and secondary embryonic fields may be affected. Dev Biol 122:186–200
Ingham PW, Pinchin SM, Howard KR, Ish-Horowicz D (1985) Genetic analysis of thehairy locus inDrosophila melanogaster. Genetics 111:463–486
Jürgens G, Wieschaus E, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Kluding H (1984) Mutations affecting the pattern of the larval cuticle inDrosophila melanogaster. II. zygotic loci on the third chromosome. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 193:283–295
King RC (1959) Oogenesis infulfu females. Dros Inf, Serv 33:142
King RC (1970) Ovarian Development inDrosophila melanogaster. Academic Press, New York
King RC, Burnett RG, Staley NA (1957) Oogenesis in adultDrosophila melanogaster. IV. Hereditary ovarian tumours. Growth 21:239–261
Kuner JM, Nakanishi M, Ali Z, Drees B, Gustavson E, Theis J, Kauvar L, Kornberg T, O'Farrel PH (1985) Molecular cloning ofengrailed: a gene involved in the development of pattern inDrosophila melanogaster. Cell 42:309–316
Lewis EB, Bacher F (1968) Method of feeding ethyl methane sulfonate (E.M.S.) toDrosophila males. Dros Inf Serv 43:193
Lindsley DL, Grell EL (1968) Genetic variations ofDrosophila melanogaster. Carnegie Inst Wash Publ 267
Lynch CJ (1919) An analysis of certain cases of intraspecific sterility. Genetics 4:501
Mariol MC, Preat T, Limbourg-Bouchon B (1987) Molecular cloning offused, a gene required for normal segmentation in theDrosophila embryo. Mol Cell Biol 7:3244–3251
Martinez-Arias A (1985) The development offused embryos ofDrosophila melanogaster. J Embryol Exp Morphol 87:99–114
Nusslein-Volhard C, Wieschaus E (1980) Mutations affecting segment number and polarity inDrosophila. Nature 287:795–801
Nusslein-Volhard C, Wieschaus E, Kluding H (1984) Mutations affecting the pattern of the larval cuticle inDrosophila melanogaster. I. Zygotic loci on the second chromosome. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 193:267–282
Perrimon N, Gans M (1983) Clonal analysis of the tissue specificity of recessive female-sterile mutations ofDrosophila melanogaster using a dominant female-sterile mutationfs(1)K1237 Dev Biol 100:365–373
Perrimon N, Mahowald AP (1987) Multiple functions of segment-polarity genes inDrosophila. Dev Biol 119:587–600
Sharma RP, Chopra VL (1976) Effect of thewingless (wg 1) mutation on wing and haltere development inDrosophila melanogaster. Dev Biol 48:461–465
Simpson P, Grau Y (1987) The segment polarity genecostal 2 inDrosophila. II. The origin of imaginal pattern duplications. Dev Biol 122:201–209
Smith PA, King RC (1966) Studies onfused, a mutant gene producting ovarian tumors inDrosophila melanogaster. J Natl Cancer Inst 36:445–461
Van Der Meer JM (1977) Optically clean and permanent whole mount preparation for phase contrast microscopy of cuticular structures of insect larvae. Dros Inf Serv 52:160
Wieschaus E, Szabad J (1979) The development and function of the female germ-line inDrosophila melanogaster: a cell lineage study. Dev Biol 68:29–46
Wieschaus E, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Jürgens G (1984) Mutations affecting the pattern of the larval cuticle inDrosophila melanogaster. III. Zygotic loci on the X-chromosome and fourth chromosome. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 193:296–307
Wurst GG, Hanratty WP (1979) Studies on the developmental characteristics offused mutants ofDrosophila melanogaster. Can J Genet Cytol 21:335–346
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Busson, D., Limbourg-Bouchon, B., Mariol, MC. et al. Genetic analysis of viable and lethalfused mutants ofDrosophila melanogaster . Roux’s Arch Dev Biol 197, 221–230 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02439429
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02439429