Genetic complexity of a minute locus in drosophila

Abstract

Minute loci in Drosophila melanogaster are an unusual class of genes in that mutations express a syndrome of dominant defects including short, thin bristles, slow development, small body size, and varying degress of reduced survival and fertility. This set of defects is similar to that observed for mutations known to affect protein synthesis. A detailed genetic analysis of a single Minute locus is presented which demonstrates a complex genetic basis for part of the array of developmental defetcs. 16 ethyl methanesulfonate treated chromosomes are shown to be allelic to the Minute locus, M(2)173, by comlementation tests, deletion and duplication mapping, as well as fine structure mapping of some alleles. 5 complementation groups are identified and these fall into two major groups: one includes mutations with dominant or recessive Minute bristle phenotypes (two complementation groups), and the other contains alledes phenotypes (two complementation groups). and the other contains alleles which are only recessive lethals (two complementation groups). One mutation interacts with members of both groups.