Transvection in Drosophila melanogaster : zeste dependent transvection in loss-of-function lamin mutants

Sammanfattning: Transvection is a widespread phenomenon affecting chromosomal and gene function. There are many examples of epigenetic machineries controlling gene regulation. Nuclear Lamin proteins could have this function. This project shows zeste dependent transvection in loss-of-function lamin mutants in Drosophila melanogaster. The zeste locus encodes a regulatory gene product affecting the expression of other loci, e.g. white. No transvection effect in loss-of-function lamin mutants has so far been shown. The effect of homozygosity versus heterozygosity of lamin on zeste-dependent transvection at paired white loci was analysed by crossing fruit flies to get homozygous z1; lamD395 individuals. Whether or not the zeste (z1) transvection effect on white was affected by lam D395 loss-of-function mutation was determined by comparing the eye colour phenotypes of double mutant z1; lamD395 females to that of z1/Y; lamD395 males, which were used as an internal negative control since they are hemizygous for zeste that is located on the X chromosome. Females homozygous for z1 and lamD395 displayed the z1-characteristic yellow eye colour. The conclusion is that zeste-dependent transvection effect at white also occurs in lamin mutants. Future research on transvection is needed in order to understand the exact mechanisms of gene regulation. Even gene therapies for some human diseases can take advantage of trans-acting sequences to correct gene expression.