Role of gap genes in early Drosophila development.

Publisher Summary The organization of the Drosophila embryo along its anteroposterior axis is metameric, that is, the embryo is composed of serially repeated units, or body segments, each of which acquires a unique morphology according to its position in the embryo. Many of the genes that control the formation of the metameric pattern have been analyzed at the molecular level, and the spatiotemporal patterns of their expression have been visualized by RNA in situ hybridization and by immune histochemical techniques. This chapter discusses the role of gap genes in establishing the metameric body pattern of the Drosophila embryo. Standing highest in the hierarchy of zygotic genes, the gap genes provide a link between the maternally installed information and the subsequent zygotic gene expression. The charter also describes how the domains of gap gene expression become established under the influence of the maternal gene products and discusses the relevance of interactions among the gap genes in the establishment of their patterns. It examines the function of the gap genes. This chapter summarizes the study of expression patterns of the relevant genes both in the wild type and under various mutant conditions, focusing on the regulatory relationships between them.

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