Genetics, Vol 130, 555-568, Copyright © 1992

INVESTIGATIONS

Developmental Arrest and Ecdysteroid Deficiency Resulting From Mutations at the dre4 Locus of Drosophila

T. J. Sliter and L. I. Gilbert
Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275-0376.

Loss-of-function mutations of the dre4 gene of Drosophila melanogaster caused stage-specific developmental arrest, the stages of arrest coinciding with periods of ecdysteroid (molting hormone) regulated development. Nonconditional mutations resulted in the arrest of larval development in the first instar; embryogenesis was not impaired, and mutant larvae were behaviorally normal and longlived. At 31 {deg} the temperature-sensitive dre4(e55) allele caused the arrest of larval development in the first or second instars. When upshifted to 31 {deg} at various times during development, dre4(e55) mutants exhibited nonpupariation of third-instar larvae, failure of pupal head eversion, failure of adult differentiation, or noneclosion of pharate adults. Under some temperature regimens second-instar larvae pupariated precociously without entering the normally intervening third-instar. Nonpupariation and defects in metamorphosis were associated with the reduction or elimination of ecdysteroid peaks normally associated with late-larval, prepupal, pupal and pharate adult development. Ecdysteroid production by larval ring glands from dre4(e55) hemizygous larvae was suppressed after 2 hr of incubation in vitro at 31 {deg}, indicating autonomous expression of the dre4 gene in the ring gland. We postulate that the dre4 gene is required for ecdysteroid production at multiple stages of Drosophila development and that the pathologies observed in dre4 mutants reflect developmental consequences of ecdysteroid deficiency.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Talamillo, J. Sanchez, R. Cantera, C. Perez, D. Martin, E. Caminero, and R. Barrio Smt3 is required for Drosophila melanogaster metamorphosis Development, May 1, 2008; 135(9): 1659 - 1668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Zhou, B. Zhou, J. W. Truman, and L. M. Riddiford Overexpression of broad: a new insight into its role in the Drosophila prothoracic gland cells J. Exp. Biol., March 1, 2004; 207(7): 1151 - 1161. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Huarte, J. J. Sanz-Ezquerro, F. Roncal, J. Ortin, and A. Nieto PA Subunit from Influenza Virus Polymerase Complex Interacts with a Cellular Protein with Homology to a Family of Transcriptional Activators J. Virol., September 15, 2001; 75(18): 8597 - 8604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Chavez, G Marques, J. Delbecque, K Kobayashi, M Hollingsworth, J Burr, J. Natzle, and M. O'Connor The Drosophila disembodied gene controls late embryonic morphogenesis and codes for a cytochrome P450 enzyme that regulates embryonic ecdysone levels Development, January 10, 2000; 127(19): 4115 - 4126. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. Hall and C. Thummel The RXR homolog ultraspiracle is an essential component of the Drosophila ecdysone receptor Development, January 12, 1998; 125(23): 4709 - 4717. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. D'Avino and C. Thummel crooked legs encodes a family of zinc finger proteins required for leg morphogenesis and ecdysone-regulated gene expression during Drosophila metamorphosis Development, January 5, 1998; 125(9): 1733 - 1745. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Lam, C Jiang, and C. Thummel Coordination of larval and prepupal gene expression by the DHR3 orphan receptor during Drosophila metamorphosis Development, January 5, 1997; 124(9): 1757 - 1769. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Fletcher and C. Thummel The Drosophila E74 gene is required for the proper stage- and tissue-specific transcription of ecdysone-regulated genes at the onset of metamorphosis Development, January 5, 1995; 121(5): 1411 - 1421. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Fletcher, K. Burtis, D. Hogness, and C. Thummel The Drosophila E74 gene is required for metamorphosis and plays a role in the polytene chromosome puffing response to ecdysone Development, January 5, 1995; 121(5): 1455 - 1465. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. Karim, G. Guild, and C. Thummel The Drosophila Broad-Complex plays a key role in controlling ecdysone-regulated gene expression at the onset of metamorphosis Development, January 7, 1993; 118(3): 977 - 988. [Abstract] [PDF]