Genetic analysis of mutations at the Glued locus and interacting loci in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

A genetic analysis of the dominant mutation Glued that perturbs the development of the normal axonal architecture of the fly's visual system was undertaken. Ten new alleles at this locus were identified and characterized. Two complementation groups that were identified failed to complement the original allele, suggesting that it is a double mutant or that it resides at a complex locus. Several of the new alleles display visual-system abnormalities similar to those of the original mutation. Seven of the eight members of one complementation group are embryonic/early larval lethals, like the original mutation. The other allele in this group is temperature sensitive. Homozygous mutant adults exhibit a temperature-sensitive female sterile phenotype. Unsuccessful attempts to recover genetic mosaics carrying clones of cells homozygous for some of these mutations revealed that they are either essential for the viability of individual cells or that they affect some other fundamental cellular function, such as mitosis or the ability to participate in tissue level organization, which prevents them from being recovered in adult mosaics. This also indicates that these mutations do not specifically affect neural cells. A number of X-ray- and EMS-induced partial and complete phenotypic "revertants" of the original allele have also been isolated as material for comparative analysis of visual system development. All "revertants" that alter the abnormal eye phenotype towards the wild type have similar impact on the organization of the optic lobe.