Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Dissection and Staining of Drosophila Larval Ovaries
Published on: May 13, 2011
tudor, a gene required for assembly of the germ plasm in Drosophila melanogaster
Abstract:
Developmental analysis of a newly isolated maternal effect grandchildless mutant, tudor (tud), in Drosophila melanogaster indicates that tud+ activity is required during oogenesis for the determination and/or formation of primordial germ cells (pole cells) and for normal embryonic abdominal segmentation. Regardless of their genotype, progeny of females homozygous for strong alleles (tud1 and tud3) never form pole cells, apparently lack polar granules in the germ plasm, and approximately 40% of them die during late embryogenesis exhibiting severe abdominal segmentation pattern defects. Females carrying weak allele, tud4, produce progeny with some functional pole cells and form polar granules approximately one-third the size of those observed in wild-type oocytes and embryos. No segmentation abnormalities are observed in the inviable embryos derived from tud4/tud4 females.
Related Concept Videos
Position-effect Variegation
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...

