Summary
We have analysed the influence of the bithorax gene complex (BX-C) on two segment-specific features of the central nervous system ofDrosophila larvae: the “presumptive leg neuromeres” (PLN), which are present only in the thoracic ganglia of the larva and develop into the leg neuromeres of the adult fly during metamorphosis; and the “lateral dots” (LD) which are found in the first abdominal as well as thoracic ganglia. We show in both cases that consecutive BX-C genes can suppress the development of these structures. We also show that each gene is expressed in several consecutive segments, leading to an apparent redundancy of the suppression in posterior segments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akam ME (1983) The location ofUltrabithorax transcripts inDrosophila tissue sections. EMBO J 2:2075–2084
Bender W, Akam M, Kasch F, Beachy P, Peifer M, Spierer P, Lewis EB, Hogness DS (1983) Molecular genetics of the Bithorax Complex ofDrosophila. Science 221:23–29
Garci-Bellido A (1977) Homoeotic and atavic mutations in insects. Am Zool 17:613–629
Ghysen A, Jan LY, Jan YN (1985) Segmental determination inDrosophila central nervous system. Cell 40:943–948
Green SH (1981) Segment-specific organization of leg motoneurones is transformed in bithorax mutants ofDrosophila. Nature 292:152–154
Jimenez F, Campos-Ortega J (1981) A cell arrangement specific to thoracic ganglia in the central nervous system of theDrosophila embryo: its behavior in homoeotic mutants. Wilhelm Roux’s Arch 190:370–373
Karch F, Weiffenbach B, Peifer M, Bender W, Duncan I, Celniker S, Crosby M, Lewis EB (1985) The abdominal region of the Bithorax Complex. Cell 43:81–96
Kerridge S, Morata G (1982) Developmental effect of some newly inducedUltrabithorax alleles ofDrosophila. J Embryol Exp Morphol 68:211–234
Kuhn DT, Woods DF, Cook JL (1981) Analysis of a new homoeotic mutation (iab-2) within the Bithorax Complex inDrosophila melanogaster. Mol Gen Genet 181:82–86
Lawrence PA, Johnston P (1984) The genetic specification of pattern in aDrosophila muscle. Cell 36:775–782
Lewis EB (1951) Pseudoallelism and gene evolution. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 16:159–174
Lewis EB (1955) Some aspects of position pseudoallelism. Am Nat 89:73–89
Lewis EB (1963) Genes and developmental pathway. Am Zool 3:33–56
Lewis EB (1964) Genetic control and regulation of developmental pathways. In: Locke M (ed) The role of chromosomes in development. Academic Press, New York, pp 231–252
Lewis EB (1967) Genes and gene complexes. In: Brink RA (ed) Heritage from Mendel. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison pp 17–47
Lewis EB (1968) Genetic control of developmental pathways inDrosophila melanogaster. Proc 12th Int Congr Gene 2:96–97
Lewis EB (1978) A gene complex controlling segmentation inDrosophila. Nature 276:565–570
Lewis EB (1981) Developmental genetics of the Bithorax Complex inDrosophila. InL Brown DD, Fox CF (eds) Developmental biology using purified genes. Academic Press, New York, pp 189–208
McGinnis W, Levine MS, Hafen E, Kuroiwa A, Gehring WJ (1984) A conserved DNA sequence in homoeotic genes of theDrosophila Antennapedia and Bithorax Complexes. Nature 308:428–433
Thomas JB, Wyman RJ (1984) Duplicated neural structure inbithorax mutants ofDrosophila. Dev Biol 102:531–533
Teugels E, Ghysen A (1983) Independence of the number of legs and leg ganglia inDrosophila bithorax mutants. Nature 304:440–442
White RH, Wilcox M (1984) Protein products of the Bithorax Complex Wilcox inDrosophila. Cell 39:163–171
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ghysen, A., Lewis, E.B. The function ofbithorax genes in the abdominal central nervous system ofDrosophila . Roux’s Arch Dev Biol 195, 203–209 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02438952
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02438952