Maternal effect embryonic lethal mutants identified in the 37D₂-38A₁ region of chromosome 2 of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

The genome region represented byDeficiency (2L) E55 inDrosophila melanogaster has been implicated in maternal gene activity, based on high levels of F₁ embryonic mortality in hemizygousDf(2L) E55/+female x+/+male matings. Extensive mutagenesis screens were conducted to detect any maternal embryonic lethal loci in theDf (2L) E55, 37D₂-38A₁ cytological region. Consequently, seven maternal effect embryonic lethal loci have been identified. Five of them altered the ventral embryonic cuticle pattern in various ways. In addition to these, a new ovarian tumour mutant has also been identified in the same region. This demonstrates that maternal haplo insufficiency of theDf (2L) E55/+females, leading to embryonic mortality, is due to theen bloc removal of the wild type alleles of these mutants, whose activity is required in the female for ovarian organisation and embryonic development.