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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Generation of Maternal Mutants Using zpc:cas9 Knock-in Zebrafish
Published on: July 22, 2025
Maternal and zygotic requirement for thepolyhomeotic complex genetic locus inDrosophila
Jean-Maurice Dura1,2, Janet Deatrick1,2, Neel B Randsholt1,2
1Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, C.N.R.S., F-91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Abstract:
The complex genetic locuspolyhomeotic (ph) is a member of thePolycomb (Pc)-group of genes and as such is required for the normal expression of ANT-C and BX-C genes. It also has probably other functions since amorphicph alleles display a cell death phenotype in the ventral epidermis of 12-h-old embryos. Here it is shown that lethal alleles ofph (amorph and strong hypomorph) show transformation of most of their segments towards AB8. Theph + product is required autonomously in imaginal cells. The total lack ofph + function prevents viability of the cuticular derivatives of these cells.ph has a strong maternal effect on segmental identity and epidermal development that can not be rescued by one paternally supplied dose ofph + in the zygote. These phenotypes differ substantially from those of previously describedPc-group genes. AmongPc-group genes,ph seems to be the only one that is strongly required both maternally and zygotically for normal embryonic development.
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