Positional cloning of a Bombyx wingless locus flugellos (fl) reveals a crucial role for fringe that is specific for wing morphogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Mutations at the flügellos (fl) locus in Bombyx mori produce wingless pupae and moths because of the repressed response of wing discs to ecdysteroid. Four recessive fl alleles occurred spontaneously and were mapped at 13.0 of the silkworm genetic linkage group 10. By positional cloning, we confirmed that the gene responsible for fl is fringe (fng) encoding Fng glycosyltransferase, which is involved in regulating the Notch signaling pathway. In four different fl alleles, we detected a large deletion of the fng gene in fl(k) and nonsense mutations in fl, fl(o), and fl(n). In the wild-type (WT) silkworm, fng is expressed actively in the wing discs, brain, and reproductive organs from the fourth to final instars but barely in the other tissues tested. In situ hybridization showed that fng mRNA

SUBMITTER: Sato K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2429881 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature