Developmental genetics of a P element induced allele of suppressor-of-forked in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

In this paper we describe a new allele of suppressor of forked, su(f) ^hd37, referred to as hd37, which was isolated in a hybrid dysgenesis mutation screen and is shown to be P induced by its high frequency of reversion in hybrid dysgenic crosses, and by in situ hybridization. hd37 suppresses forked and fails to complement the forked suppression of known su(f) alleles. However, it complements the recessive lethality of alleles in both of the su(f) lethal complementation groups. We also describe a new phenotypic effect of su(f) alleles, the enhancement of Minute(3)i ⁵⁵. Recessive lethal alleles enhance the lethal effects of this Minute, but hd37 does not. The temperature sensitive period for forked bristle suppression by hd37 was found to be very narrow, consisting of a short interval (12-18 h) immediately before bristle formation. These results suggest that the several genetic functions associated with this locus may be genetically separable.

Keywords: Drosophila; Lethality; P elements; Suppression.