Rescue of the Delorean Phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Cell and Molecular Biology
Mentor Information
Georgette Sass
Department
Biology
Location
Kirkhof Center KC39
Start Date
11-4-2012 9:00 AM
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster homozygous for the delorean mutation exhibit a phenotype with wings that are extended away from the body and noticeably curved downward. This is in contrast to the wings of wild-type flies that are held straight back over the body and not curved. The delorean phenotype is recessive and thought to be due to altered expression of the protein kinase N (pkn) gene during wing morphogenesis. Providing the PKN protein (i.e. the product of the wild-type pkn gene) to delorean flies should restore the wild-type phenotype if the delorean phenotype is due to a disruption of PKN gene expression. To rescue the mutant phenotype of the delorean flies we constructed a transformation vector using the pCasper-HS plasmid engineered to contain a cDNA sequence that could produce wild-type PKN. We generated an additional construct containing the wild-type pkn gene sequence in the transformation vector pUAST to activate PKN protein expression in specific tissues.
Rescue of the Delorean Phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster
Kirkhof Center KC39
Drosophila melanogaster homozygous for the delorean mutation exhibit a phenotype with wings that are extended away from the body and noticeably curved downward. This is in contrast to the wings of wild-type flies that are held straight back over the body and not curved. The delorean phenotype is recessive and thought to be due to altered expression of the protein kinase N (pkn) gene during wing morphogenesis. Providing the PKN protein (i.e. the product of the wild-type pkn gene) to delorean flies should restore the wild-type phenotype if the delorean phenotype is due to a disruption of PKN gene expression. To rescue the mutant phenotype of the delorean flies we constructed a transformation vector using the pCasper-HS plasmid engineered to contain a cDNA sequence that could produce wild-type PKN. We generated an additional construct containing the wild-type pkn gene sequence in the transformation vector pUAST to activate PKN protein expression in specific tissues.