Oogenesis in the suppressor of hairy-wing mutant of Drosophila melanogaster. I. Phenotypic characterization and transplantation experiments.

Abstract

AbstractCytological studies of ovaries from Drosophila melanogaster homozygous for the female sterile gene, su2‐Hw, demonstrate that the nurse cell components of the egg chambers are primarily affected. The chromosomes of these endopolyploid cells remain condensed, whereas the normal polytene chromosomes of wild type nurse cells uncoil and fall apart prior to vitellogenesis. Vitellogenesis is greatly inhibited in the mutant, and the egg chambers eventually degenerate. Reciprocal transplantation experiments show autonomous behavior of + and su2‐Hw ovaries. Therefore the ovarian phenotype is due to the action of the mutant gene in the ovarian cells themselves.