The Drosophila body plan Flashcards
Where is segmentation present in the drosophila?
All along the body
In the head
In the larvae
Where are the legs present in drosophila?
One pair of legs in each of the 3 thoracic segments
What did screening of drosophila mutations by Nusslein-Volhard and Wishaus show?
Many different phenotypes, all characterised into 4 groups
What are the 4 groups that the mutations were classified into?
1) Maternal genes
2) Gap genes
3) Pair rule genes
4) Segment polarity genes
What happens when mutate gap genes?
There is a gap in the body plan - loss of segments in the middle
What happens when mutate paired-rule genes?
Miss EVERY OTHER segment in the body
What are examples of genes that fall into the different categories of mutations?
1) Maternal - Bicoid
2) Gap - Knirps
3) Paired rule - even-paired, odd-paired
4) Segment polarity - Gooseberry
What happens if mutate segment polarity gene?
Loss of the naked cuticle between the denticle belts - looks fuzzy
How are genes named?
After their phenotype when they are mutated
What is the hierarchy of genes in the drosophila?
- Genes that progressively define and divide up the egg
- Where expression of the genes at ONE LEVEL is needed for the expression of the genes at the NEXT LEVEL
- Maternal
- Gap
- Paired-rule
- Segment polarity
What type of molecule in bicoid?
A DNA binding transcriptional ACTIVATOR
Where is bicoid made?
It is loaded into the developing oocyte from the nurse cells
What protein is made from bicoid mRNA?
Bicoid protein - a MORPHOGEN
What happens to the bicoid protein when it is translated from bicoid mRNA?
It diffuses away from the anterior of the egg to form a GRADIENT
When are the high affinity binding sites for the bicoid morphogen activated?
At LOW concentrations of the morphogen
When are the low affinity binding sites for the bicoid morphogen activated?
At HIGH concentrations of the morphogen
What happens if there is a mutation in bicoid?
There is a loss of ANTERIOR structures
What happens if inject anterior CYTOPLASM into an anterior mutant?
What does this show?
There is PARTIAL RESCUE (development of SOME anterior structures)
Shows that there is a diffusible molecule doing this (as it is present in the cytoplasm)
What happens when the donor anterior cytoplasm is injected into the middle of the bicoid mutant?
Head-like structures in the middle and thoratic segments moving outwards (mirror image)
How are paired-rule genes expressed with no bicoid mutant?
7 bands, with a small gap at the front and the back
What happens to the expression of the pair-rule genes in a bicoid mutant?
Band spread out, some travel anteriorly (smaller gap between the anterior and the first band of expression)