A synthetic combination of mutations, including fs(1)pyr  ^Su(b), r  ^Su(b) and b, causes female sterility and reduces embryonic viability in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

A Drosophila melanogaster mutant, fs(1)pyr ^Su(b), carrying a mutation that maps to the tip of the X chromosome, has been isolated. The mutation, when present alone, does not confer a detectable phenotype. However, this mutation causes female sterility and reduces embryonic viability when combined with mutations which deregulate the pyrimidine and β-alanine pools. Embryos that are homozygous for the mutations fs(1)pyr ^Su(b), r ^Su(b) [previously designated as Su(b)] and b, and originate from a female parent homozygous for the three mutations show severely reduced viability. Newly laid eggs begin development normally, but the majority of the embryos die just before the eggs are due to hatch.