Essential genes in proximal 3L heterochromatin of Drosophila melanogaster


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Authors: Schulze, S; Sinclair, DAR; Silva, E; Fitzpatrick, KA; Singh, M; Lloyd, VK; Morin, KA; Kim, J; Holm, DG; Kennison, JA; Honda, BM
Year: 2001
Journal: Molecular and General Genetics 264: 782-789
Title: Essential genes in proximal 3L heterochromatin of Drosophila melanogaster
Abstract: We have further characterized essential loci within the centric heterochromatin of the left arm of chromosome 3 (3L) of Drosophila melanogaster, using EMS, radiation and P element mutagenesis. We failed to find any new essential genes, a result that suggests a lower-than-average gene density in this region. Mutations affecting expression of the most proximal gene [lethal 1, l1 or l(3)80Fj] act as dominant suppressors of Polycomb (Pc), behavior which is consistent with a putative trithorax group (trx-G) gene. The third gene to the left of the centromere [lethal 3, l3 or l(3)80Fh] is likely to correspond to verthandi (vtd), a known trx-G gene that plays a role in the regulation of hedgehog (hh) expression and signalling. The intervening gene [lethal 2, l2 or l(3)80Fi] is required throughout development, and mutant alleles have interesting phenotypes; in Various allelic combinations that survive, we observe fertility, bristle, wing, eye and cuticle defects.
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