Positional information in imaginal discs transformed by homoeotic mutations

Abstract

Mutations of the bithorax complex result in segmental transformations in the thorax and abdomen ofDrosophila. The haltere discs from larvae homozygous forbx ³ orpbx are transformed so that the discs contain cells that will produce wing cuticle as well as cells that produce haltere cuticle. The pattern regulation behavior of these discs has been examined. The fate maps of the two discs were established, and then the regulative behavior of a number of fragments from both types of mutant discs was established by culturing the fragments in vivo prior to metamorphosis. The most important conclusion from this work is that the cells producing, haltere cuticle and wing cuticle within the same disc share the same positional information and that they communicate during pattern regulation.