A gain-of-function suppressor screen for genes involved in dorsal-ventral boundary formation in the Drosophila wing

Genetics. 2008 Jan;178(1):307-23. doi: 10.1534/genetics.107.081869.

Abstract

The Drosophila wing primordium is subdivided into a dorsal (D) and a ventral (V) compartment by the activity of the LIM-homeodomain protein Apterous in D cells. Cell interactions between D and V cells induce the activation of Notch at the DV boundary. Notch is required for the maintenance of the compartment boundary and the growth of the wing primordium. Beadex, a gain-of-function allele of dLMO, results in increased levels of dLMO protein, which interferes with the activity of Apterous and results in defects in DV axis formation. We performed a gain-of-function enhancer-promoter (EP) screen to search for suppressors of Beadex when overexpressed in D cells. We identified 53 lines corresponding to 35 genes. Loci encoding for micro-RNAs and proteins involved in chromatin organization, transcriptional control, and vesicle trafficking were characterized in the context of dLMO activity and DV boundary formation. Our results indicate that a gain-of-function genetic screen in a sensitized background, as opposed to classical loss-of-function-based screenings, is a very efficient way to identify redundant genes involved in a developmental process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Body Patterning / genetics*
  • Chromatin / metabolism
  • Drosophila Proteins / chemistry
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism
  • Drosophila melanogaster / cytology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / embryology*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics*
  • Genes, Insect*
  • Genes, Suppressor*
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Membrane Fusion
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Receptors, Notch / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Suppression, Genetic
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transport Vesicles / metabolism
  • Wings, Animal / cytology
  • Wings, Animal / embryology*
  • Wings, Animal / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chromatin
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Receptors, Notch