Revertants of Dominant Mutations Associated with the Antennapedia Gene Complex of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Cytology and Genetics

Abstract

Using X-ray mutagenesis we have induced and recovered phenotypic revertants of four dominant mutations thought to be associated with the Antennapedia complex of Drosophila melanogaster. These include seven revertants of Antennapedia-73b (Antp(73b)), six of Extra Sex Combs of Wakimoto (Scx(w)), three of Deformed (Dfd) and one of Humeral (Hu). Fifteen of the 17 revertants are associated with chromosomal aberrations and localize Antp(73b), Scx( w) and Hu to polytene chromosome bands 84B1,2. The Dfd lesion is apparently located in or adjacent to bands 84A4,5. Since all of the dominants are reverted by events that delete their respective chromosomal loci, we conclude that all four are the result of a gain-of-function lesions. Complementation analysis of the various revertant chromosomes has shown that Scx(w) and Hu are dominant allelic variants of the Antp locus. The Dfd lesion represents a dominant mutation at a locus just proximal to Antp and previously only occupied by recessive lethal mutations. Characterization of the revertants of Scx(w) and a comparison with the properties of the original mutation has revealed that the original lesion has effects on both the Antp and Sex Combs Reduced (Scr) loci and that these defects are in some cases separable by the reverting event.