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PMID: 2111263 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

The organization and expression of the light gene, a heterochromatic gene of Drosophila melanogaster.

Genetics ·Vol. 125 ·No. 1 ·1990-05-00 ·Pages 129-40

Devlin RH, Bingham B, Wakimoto BT

Abstract

The light (lt) gene is located in the centromeric heterochromatin of chromosome 2 of Drosophila melanogaster. This gene is necessary for normal levels of pigmentation in a number of adult and larval tissues and is required for viability. Hybrid dysgenic and X-ray induced mutations have been used to identify the gene and compare its organization to that of euchromatic genes. Molecular mapping of lt mutations and its major transcripts has shown that the lt gene is at least 17 kb. By injecting cosmid clones that include this region into lt mutant embryos, we have defined a 30-kb region that can transiently rescue the pigmentation defect in the Malpighian tubules. The major transcription unit of this gene is comprised of exons that are single copy. It is unusual in its organization in having a heterogeneous array of middle repetitive DNA sequences within its intronic and flanking regions.

MeSH Terms
Animals Blotting, Northern Blotting, Southern Cosmids Drosophila melanogaster/genetics Female Gene Expression Regulation Genes Heterochromatin Male Mutation Pigmentation/genetics Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Restriction Mapping Transcription, Genetic
Chemicals
Heterochromatin
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Devlin R H
Department of Zoology NJ-15, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Bingham B
Wakimoto B T
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Article Info
Journal
Genetics
Abbr.
Genetics
ISSN
0016-6731
DOI
10.1093/genetics/125.1.129
Published
1990-05-00
Pages
129-40
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0374636
PMCID
PMC1203994
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM34977 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/genetics/125.1.129 PMC Full Text View journal details
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