Searching for pattern and mutation in the Drosophila genome with a P-lacZ vector

• Published in: Genes & development Vol. 3; no. 9; pp. 1273 - 1287
• Main Authors: BIER, E, VAESSIN, H, JAN, L. Y, JAN, Y. N, SHEPHERD, S, LEE, K, MCCALL, K, BARBEL, S, ACKERMAN, L, CARRETTO, R, UEMURA, T, GRELL, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cold Spring Harbor, NY Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 01-09-1989
• Subjects: Animals; beta-Galactosidase - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Evolution; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Diptera; DNA Transposable Elements; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophilidae; Embryo, Nonmammalian - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes, Lethal; Genetic Vectors; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Invertebrata; Mutation; Nervous System - embryology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - analysis; Embryonic development; Embryo; Genetic marker; Insecta; Drosophila; Nervous system; Gene expression; Drosophilidae; Optical microscopy; Phenotype; Reporter gene; Gene frequency; Arthropoda; Mutation; Invertebrata; Molecular cloning; Diptera
• ISSN: 0890-9369; 1549-5477
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.3.9.1273

A P-element vector has been constructed and used to generate lines of flies with single autosomal P-element insertions. The lines were analyzed in two ways: (1) the identification of cis-acting patterning information within the Drosophila genome, as revealed by a lacZ reporter gene within the P element, and (2) the isolation of lethal mutations. We examined 3768 independent lines for the expression of lacZ in embryos and looked among these lines for lethal mutations affecting embryonic neurogenesis. This type of screen appears to be an effective way to find new loci that may play a role in the development of the Drosophila nervous system.