Contribution of the gene extramacrochaetae to the precise positioning of bristles in Drosophila

Abstract

We examine the effect of mutations in the extramacrochaetae (emc) gene on the positioning of macrochaetes on the notum of Drosophila. We show that, in emc mutants, most of the precursor cells appear earlier than in wild-type individuals, consistent with an antagonizing effect of emc on the action of the proneural genes achaete and scute. We also show that reducing emc function affects the position of three bristles and/or of their precursors, but has no marked effect on the positioning of the other bristles. © 1995 Springer-Verlag.