ZFH-2 is required for Drosophila ovarian follicle development and is expressed at the band/interband boundaries of polytene chromosomes

Abstract

The transcription factor ZFH-2 has well-documented roles in Drosophila neurogenesis and other developmental processes. Here we provide the first evidence that ZFH-2 has a role in oogenesis. We demonstrate that ZFH-2 is expressed in the wild-type ovary and that a loss of zfh-2 function produces a mutant ovary phenotype where egg chambers are reduced in number and fused. We also show that a loss of zfh-2 function can suppress a daughterless loss-of-function ovary phenotype suggesting a possible genetic relationship between these two genes in the ovary. We also show that ZFH-2 is located at the boundary between bands and interbands on polytene chromosomes and that at a subset of these sites ZFH-2 colocalizes with the insulator/promoter cofactor CP190.