Abstract
Chromosome breaks throughout a 70-kilobase (kb) region of the Drosophila bithorax complex (BX-C) result in the homoeotic Ultrabithorax (Ubx) mutations1. These cause the third thoracic and first abdominal segments of the Drosophila embryo to develop structures normally characteristic of the first and second thoracic segments2–6. We show here by genetic mapping that apparent point mutations with Ubx phenotypes are located at both ends of this 70-kb region. Mutations located at either end of the Ubx unit have indistinguishable phenotypes, suggesting that both classes inactivate most or all wild-type, Ubx+, functions. This observation supports the suggestion1 that Ubx mutations directly inactivate a product encoded by 5′ and 3′ exons of a long transcription unit.
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Akam, M., Moore, H. & Cox, A. Ultrabithorax mutations map to distant sites within the bithorax complex of Drosophila. Nature 309, 635–637 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/309635a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/309635a0
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