Abstract
The homeotic gene teashirt (tsh) is known to regulate segmental identity of the trunk region of the Drosophila embryo. Here we report a requirement for tsh function in the development of adult head structures. Animals homozygous for a viable tsh allele or heterozygous for various embryonic recessive lethal alleles displayed miniaturized maxillary palps, a phenotype characteristically induced by dominant gain-of-function mutations of Antennapedia (Antp) homeotic gene. Animals transheterozygous for tsh and Antp mutations displayed an enhanced antenna-to-leg and a striking reduced-eye phenotype suggesting aggravated ANTP misexpression in eye-antennal discs of these animals. In agreement with this, in the developing eye-antennal discs of the tsh mutant animals a significant amount of ANTP protein was detected overlapping the domains where tsh is normally expressed. These results suggest that tsh specifies adult head segments by repressing Antp expression.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 7 December 1996 / Accepted: 8 April 1997
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bhojwani, J., Shashidhara, L. & Sinha, P. Requirement of teashirt (tsh) function during cell fate specification in developing head structures in Drosophila . Dev Gene Evol 207, 137–146 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004270050101
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004270050101