The induction of a multiple wing hair phenocopy by heat shock in mutant heterozygotes

Phenocopies are developmental defects induced by environmental treatments during differentiation. Because of their resemblance to mutant phenotypes it has been suggested that phenocopies are due to environmental effects on the expression of specific genes during development. In this paper we describe the heat shock (40.8 degrees C) induction of a multiple wing hair phenocopy in the mutant heterozygote (mwh/+). The mwh phenocopy is only induced in heterozygotes of the recessive mutant during a short sensitive period which appears to be the time of expression of the multiple wing hair gene. We suggest that this phenocopy is due to failure of mwh gene expression and that phenocopy sensitive periods may be useful in identifying expression periods for particular genes during development. Furthermore we have been able to demonstrate that a 35 degrees C pretreatment will prevent the induction of the multiple wing hair phenocopy. A similar 35 degrees C pretreatment prevents induction of several different phenocopies by heat in wild-type flies (N. S. Petersen and H. K. Mitchell (1985). In "Comprehensive Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Vol. X, Biochemistry." Pergamon, New York). This indicates a common molecular mechanism for both the induction and the prevention of heat-induced phenocopies.