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Updated: Jun 9, 2026
04:55
Dissection of Drosophila Ovaries
Published on: October 19, 2006
Cis-regulation in the Drosophila Bithorax Complex
Robert K Maeda1, François Karch
1NCCR Frontiers in Genetics, University of Geneva, 30 quai E. Ansermet, 1211 Geneva-4, Switzerland.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|August 28, 2010
Summary
Homeotic mutations, discovered in 1915, alter body plan development by causing structures to form in the wrong place. These mutations highlight the role of homeotic genes as key regulators of developmental programs.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Homeotic mutations cause dramatic changes in an organism's body plan.
- These mutations were first discovered and extensively studied in Drosophila.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the Bithorax Complex (BX-C), a key homeotic gene complex.
- To explain the concept of homeotic genes as "selector genes" in development.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical discoveries and established research on homeotic mutations.
- Focus on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying homeotic gene function.
Main Results:
- Homeotic genes encode transcription factors that regulate downstream "realizator genes".
- These genes initiate and execute specific developmental programs, like appendage formation.
Conclusions:
- Homeotic genes are crucial for establishing the correct body plan.
- The Bithorax Complex (BX-C) is a well-characterized example of a homeotic gene complex.
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