14. Genetic Control of Development

What are maternal-effect genes?

Why do loss-of-function mutations in Hox genes usually result in embryo lethality, whereas gain-of-function mutants can be viable? Why are flies homozygous for the recessive loss-of-function alleles  and  viable?

What is the phenotype associated with zygotic gene mutations?

What are zygotic genes, and when are their gene products made?

Does the maternal genotype contain zygotic genes?

Compare and contrast the specification of segmental identity in Drosophila with that of floral organ specification in Arabidopsis. What is the same in this process, and what is different?

List the main classes of zygotic genes. What is the function of each class of these genes?

Actinomycin D is a drug that inhibits the activity of RNA polymerase II. In the presence of actinomycin D, early development in many vertebrate species, such as frogs, can proceed past the formation of a blastula, a hollow ball of cells that forms after early cleavage divisions, but development ceases before gastrulation (the stage at which cell layers are established). What does this tell you about maternal versus zygotic gene activity in early frog development?

You observe that a particular gene is being transcribed during development. How can you tell whether the expression of this gene is under transcriptional or translational control?

The homeotic mutation Antennapedia causes mutant Drosophila to have legs in place of antennae and is a dominant gain-of-function mutation. What are the properties of such mutations? How does the Antennapedia gene change antennae into legs?

The bicoid gene is a coordinate maternal–effect gene.

A female Drosophila heterozygous for a loss-of function bicoid allele is mated to a male that is heterozygous for the same allele. What are the phenotypes of their progeny?

The Drosophila homeotic mutation spineless aristapedia (ssᵃ) results in the formation of a miniature tarsal structure (normally part of the leg) on the end of the antenna. What insight is provided by (ssᵃ) concerning the role of genes during determination?