Identification of genes, involved in the same processes as leg-arista-wing complex. O.B. Simonova , E.A. Modestova. Lab. of Neurogenetics and Developmental Genetics , Institute of Gene Biology RAS, Moscow, Russia.

   The neurogenic lawc (leg-arista-wing complex) mutations have pleiotropic phenotype effect: homeotic modifications (transformation of arista into tarsus), morphological leg defects, abnormal wing development, ectopic bristle pattern formation. The lawc^P1 mutation induced by P element insertion into the transcribed nontranslated region of the gene has almost no influence on the phenotype of flies. However, its combination with ctⁿ mutation leads to a visible P element-mediated suppression of lawc transcription.
   To identify mutations in genes involved in the same processes as lawc, we perform a genetic screen to find genomic regions that are required for the lawc function. ctⁿlawc^P1 combination allowed to identify this regions as they enhance or suppress the visible effect of lawc^P1 mutation. The revertant ctⁿlawc^P1R30 strain was used as a control to prevent the influence of ctⁿ mutation on a final result. More than 200 deficiency lines provided from the Bloomington stock centre, were screened to identify chromosomal interval that enhance these phenotype up to lethality. As a result, 14 regions have been found. Now we study his regions to identify the concrete genes which are responsible for lethality described above. Genetic data demonstrate synergetic interactions between lawc mutations and several transcription factor mutations (ac, sc, ct, taf40/e(y)1, taf60, taf110, taf150, TFIIH, e(y)2, e(y)3) suggesting lawc participation in the transcription process.