Mutations of the pleiohomeotic gene interact with Polycomb group genes during Drosophila adult development

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The pleiohomeotic (pho) gene of Drosophila ia a member of the Polycomb (Pc) group of genes. Its loss of function mutations cause homeotic transformation in adult flies. Pho mutants show partial homeotic transformation in legs and terga of adult male. In amorphic allele, pho^b, fourth turgum was transformed to the fifth or sixth tergum. Third legs showed a few number of sexcombs, which are present only in the first legs. Claws were very weakly transformed to the sixth tarsal segments. However, pho^cu homozygote, which is a hypomorph, showed a very weak transformations in legs and tergum. These homeotic transformations were synergistically enhanced when both pho mutants combine with other Pc group mutants. This indicates that Pc group gene products may together repress the formation of sexcombs in the second and third legs, and the 6th tarsal segment from the claw in normal flies. It is suggested that pho gene product may form the complex with other Pc group gene products and segmental transformations are produced by alteration in the level of expression of Pc group genes.