Open AccessA Screen for Dominant Modifiers of the irreC-rst Cell Death Phenotype in the Developing Drosophila Retina
Author(s) -
Sara B. Tanenbaum,
Sharon M. Gorski,
Jamie C. Rusconi,
Ross L. Cagan
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.792
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1943-2631
pISSN - 0016-6731
DOI - 10.1093/genetics/156.1.205
Subject(s) - biology , phenotype , genetics , allele , gene , programmed cell death , mutant , mutation , drosophila (subgenus) , genetic screen , photoreceptor cell , population , drosophilidae , drosophila melanogaster , retina , neuroscience , apoptosis , demography , sociology
Programmed cell death (PCD) in the Drosophila retina requires activity of the irregular chiasmC-roughest (irreC-rst) gene. Loss-of-function mutations in irreC-rst block PCD during retinal development and lead to a rough eye phenotype in the adult. To identify genes that interact with irreC-rst and may be involved in PCD, we conducted a genetic screen for dominant enhancers and suppressors of the adult rough eye phenotype. We screened 150,000 mutagenized flies and recovered 170 dominant modifiers that localized primarily to the second and third chromosomes. At least two allelic groups correspond to previously identified death regulators, Delta and dRas1. Examination of retinae from homozygous viable mutants indicated two major phenotypic classes. One class exhibited pleiotropic defects while the other class exhibited defects specific to the cell population that normally undergoes PCD.