Genetic and molecular characterization of the optomotor-blind gene locus in Drosophila melanogaster

The Drosophila gene optomotor-blind (omb) is involved in the development of a set of giant neurons in the optic lobes and possibly other structures in the imaginal brain. Adult flies have discrete defects in optomotor behavior. The gene has previously been mapped in chromomeres 4C5-6, together with three other genes, bifid, Quadroon and lacqueredgls. We have localized the gene in a genomic walk of 340 kb of DNA. By mapping seven chromosome breakpoints with omb phenotype we determined its minimum size to about 80 kb. From this region more than 20 RNAs of different size and temporal expression pattern are transcribed. Three of them (T3, T7 and T7') stem from primary transcripts of 40-80 kb in length. In its distal part the omb gene overlaps in at least 19 kb with four other complementation units, bifid, l(1)bifid, Quadroon and lacqueredgls. The three nonlethals affect the external appearance of the fly and seem to be unrelated to brain development.