Lecture 7- Establishing the A/P axis in Drosophila

Question 1

how does Drosophila early development work

Answer 1

band of nuclei, no cell membranes, so diffusion can occur ‘normally’

Question 2

how are gene functions identified

Answer 2

mutant screens, can identify what changes when a gene is mutated and infer functionality
can also be done by injecting things into the embryo, and seeing what changes- can infer patterning function

Question 3

how is the antiparallel gradient formed in Drosophila

Answer 3

bicoid diffusion, bcd inhibits caudal so it doesnt get too far into the anterior end- this is just an example of antiparallel gradients

Question 4

what kinds of functions do mRNAs have in development

Answer 4

binding to enhancers, switching genes on etc

Question 5

important experiments for understanding planarian regeneration

Answer 5

gene knockouts with RNAi