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Establishment of imaginal discs and histoblast nests in Drosophila

Mechanisms of DevelopmentPublished 1 January 1991Open access
Amanda Simcox, Evelyn Hersperger, Allen Shearn, J. Robert S. Whittle, Stephen M. Cohen
Citations33
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TL;DR

The results suggest that the histoblast or disc 'mode' of development is initiated by the extended germ band stage through activity of the BX-C and ANT-C in Drosophila and is relatively inflexible thereafter.

Abstract

In Drosophila the homeotic genes of the bithorax-complex (BX-C) and Antennapedia-complex (ANT-C) specify the identity of segments. Adult segment primordia are established in the embryo as the histoblast nests of the abdomen and the imaginal discs of the head, thorax and terminalia. We have used a molecular probe for the limb primordia and in vivo culture to describe the nature of the adult primordia in mutants in which the pattern of homeotic gene expression was altered. The results suggest that the histoblast or disc 'mode' of development is initiated by the extended germ band stage through activity of the BX-C and ANT-C and is relatively inflexible thereafter [corrected].

Keywords

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyEnvironmental Science