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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Maintenance of a Drosophila melanogaster Population Cage
Published on: March 15, 2016
Genetics of 51D-52A, a region containing several maternal-effect genes and two maternal-specific transcripts in
E M Underwood1, A S Briot, K Z Doll
1Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Ohio 43403.
Abstract:
Two genomic clones exhibiting a maternal-specific pattern of expression map to cytological region 52A. To elucidate the function of these clones we have undertaken a mutagenesis of the cytological region 51D-52A. This paper presents the results of this screen and the preliminary analysis of female-sterile and lethal mutations isolated. A total of twelve complementation groups have been identified, four of which are defined exclusively by female-sterile alleles. Only one visible mutation was isolated, a recessive temperature-sensitive allele of Thickened-arista (Tarts). Several of the seven lethal loci display an embryonic lethal phase. Three of the four female-sterile loci affect chorion structure with one resulting in underamplification of the chorion genes, and two (possibly three) of the four female-steriles affect nuclear division/DNA replication. Thus it appears that this is a "developmentally important" region, possibly representing a clustering of genes involved in either DNA replication or nuclear division.
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