What causes the mutation in Drosophila?

Flies with vestigial wings cannot fly: they have a defect in their “vestigial gene,” on the second chromosome. These flies have a recessive mutation. Of the pair of vestigial genes carried by each fly (one from each parent), both have to be altered to produce the abnormal wing shape.

Can mutation be induced in Drosophila?

Mutations can be induced by several methods. The three general approaches used to generate mutations are radiation, chemical and transposon insertion. The first induced mutations were created by treating Drosophila with X-rays. Using this a pproach Mueller to induce lethal mutations.

What causes Drosophila antennapedia?

Antennapedia (abbreviated Antp) is a Hox gene first discovered in Drosophila which controls the formation of legs during development. Loss-of-function mutations in the regulatory region of this gene result in the development of the second leg pair into ectopic antennae.

What could be the effect of a mutation that occurs in a homeobox gene?

Homeotic genes contain a sequence of DNA known as a homeobox, which encodes a segment of 60 amino acids within the homeotic transcription factor protein. If a mutation occurs in the homeobox of any of the homeotic genes, an organism will not develop correctly.

How do you tell if a fly is male or female?

Sexing flies The most simple characteristic to use to differentiate the two is to look at the genitalia of the flies. Males have dark, rounded genitalia at the tip of their abdomen, whereas females have light, pointed genitalia.

Is a phenotype?

A phenotype is an individual’s observable traits, such as height, eye color, and blood type. The genetic contribution to the phenotype is called the genotype. Some traits are largely determined by the genotype, while other traits are largely determined by environmental factors.

What is the difference between spontaneous mutation and induced mutation?

Spontaneous mutations are the result of errors in natural biological processes, while induced mutations are due to agents in the environment that cause changes in DNA structure.

What is an example of induced mutation?

Induced mutations are alterations in the gene after it has come in contact with mutagens and environmental causes. Alkylating agents (e.g., N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). These agents can mutate both replicating and non-replicating DNA.

Is eyeless a Hox gene?

This result suggests distinct functions mediated differentially by the two DNA-binding domains of eyeless. The animal body plan is set up during embryogenesis by a combinatorial genetic interaction between selector genes. The Hox gene family is responsible for the anterior-posterior segmentation pattern of the embryo.

What are gain of function mutations?

Gain-of-function mutation: A mutation that confers new or enhanced activity on a protein. Loss-of-function mutations, which are more common, result in reduced or abolished protein function.

Do humans have Hox genes?

Hox genes are a group of evolutionarily conserved genes that encode a family of transcription factors that regulate early developmental morphogenetic processes and continue to be expressed into adulthood. In vertebrates, specifically humans and mice, there are a total of 39 Hox genes organized into 4 distinct clusters.

What happened to the fly with a Hox mutation?

In Drosophila, the fruit fly, a Hox mutation can produce profound changes–an extra pair of wings, for example, or a set of legs, instead of antennae, growing from the fly’s head.