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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
08:19
Quantitative Comparison of cis-Regulatory Element (CRE) Activities in Transgenic Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: December 19, 2011
Odd Oz: a novel Drosophila pair rule gene
A Levine1, A Bashan-Ahrend, O Budai-Hadrian
1Department of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Cell
|May 20, 1994
Summary
Researchers discovered a new gene, odd Oz (odz), in Drosophila that is essential for proper body segment formation. Mutations in odz lead to the deletion of odd-numbered segments, affecting embryonic development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
- Drosophila melanogaster research
Background:
- Pair rule genes are crucial for establishing the segmented body plan in Drosophila embryos.
- Understanding the function of novel pair rule genes provides insights into conserved developmental mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel pair rule gene in Drosophila.
- To elucidate the molecular function and structural properties of the identified gene, odd Oz (odz).
Main Methods:
- Genetic analysis of Drosophila mutants.
- Expression pattern analysis of the odz gene product in embryonic tissues.
- Bioinformatic analysis of the odz gene product's protein structure and homology.
Main Results:
- Identification of the odd Oz (odz) gene, a novel pair rule gene.
- odz mutant embryos exhibit deletion of every odd-numbered body segment.
- The odz gene product is expressed in the embryonic central nervous system and heart, which are malformed in mutants.
- Unlike other pair rule genes, odz encodes a protein with EGF-like repeats, homologous to tenascin, and is a putative transmembrane tyrosine kinase substrate, suggesting a role in a cellularized embryo.
Conclusions:
- odd Oz (odz) is a unique pair rule gene in Drosophila, playing a critical role in segment formation.
- The structural characteristics of the odz protein suggest a novel mechanism of action for a pair rule gene, potentially involving cell adhesion or signaling.
- odz functions late in development, consistent with its expression patterns and role in a cellularized embryo.
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