A gain of function screen identifying genes required for vein formation in the Drosophila melanogaster wing

The formation of the Drosophila wing involves developmental processes such as cell proliferation, pattern formation and cell differentiation that are common to all multicellular organisms. The genes controlling these cellular behaviours are conserved throughout the animal kingdom, and the genetic analysis of wing development has been instrumental in their identification and functional characterisation. The wing is a post-embryonic structure, and most loss-of-function mutations are lethal in homozygous flies before metamorphosis. In this manner, loss-of-function genetic screens aiming to identify genes affecting wing formation have not been systematically utilised. As an alternative, a number of genetic searches have utilised the phenotypic consequences of gene gain-of-expression, as a method more efficient to search for genes required during imaginal development. Here we present the results of a gain-of-function screen designed to identify genes involved in the formation of the wing veins. We generated 13000 P-GS insertions of a P element containing UAS sequences (P-GS), and combined them with a Gal4 driver expressed mainly in the developing pupal veins. We selected 500 P-GSs that, in combination with the Gal4 driver, result in modifications of the veins, changes in the morphology of the wing or defects in the differentiation of the trichomes. The P element insertion sites were mapped to the genomic sequence, identifying 373 genes candidate to participate in wing morphogenesis and vein formation.

Key Words: Cell differentiation, Cell signalling, Drosophila, Genetic screen, Wing veins

Online ISS 1091-6490
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