Instructions:

Please read the notes of “Forward genetic screens in flies” through the link, and
answer the following questions. Most questions can be answered in one sentence.

Study question:
Look at the graphic:

1. What was mutagen used for this screen?

EMS
2. What is DTS? When would the flies die if they carry the allele?
Dominant temperature sensitive, die at 29C if the fly has >= 1 DTS
3. What is CYO? When would the flies die if they carry the allele?
CYO = dominant curly wing, recessive lethal. Fly dies if it is
homozygous for CYO.
4. The mutations on which chromosome will be balanced in this breeding
scheme? How do you know that?
Mutations on chromosome II, because you use balancer for chrm II.
5. In the screen described, if you want to identify a dominant mutation, which
generation should you look for mutants with the defects?
F1
6. In the screen described, if you want to identify a recessive mutation, which
generation should you look for mutants with the defects?
F3
7. Why is it important to backcross to the balancer female after F1?
To generate more flies with this particular mutation (The F2 contains
both male and female flies with the mutation. Note that among all the
F1s, there is only one fly in the whole world that contains this mutation.

Quick practice questions:

1. You are interested in identifying genes on chromosome II that are involved in
depositing mRNA into eggs of flies. If such genes were defective, then we’d
predict the fly to be sterile. Design a screen that will allow you to do this by
answering the following questions:
a. Will you mutagenize male or female? Male (it doesn’t really matter)
b. What would you predict your mutant to be if you have identified the
one that you want, sterile or fertile? Sterile female
c. What fly will you cross your F1 female to? What are the genotypes and
phenotypes of F2 generated by the F1 cross? A balancer male
(CYO/DTS). F2: m/CYO, +/CYO (all curly wings) at 29C
d. If you have found a dominant mutation, which generation should you
screen, and would you look at male fly or female fly? F2 embryos of
the F1 female.
e. If you have found a recessive mutation, do you need to generate an
F4 by crossing F3 to something else? If so, what will you cross the F3
to? Yes, because to examine if an F3 female is steile, you will
need to cross her to another fly. The genotype of this male fly
doesn’t matter.
Based on all your answers above, outline a diagram just like in the notes.
See extra practice problem on fly genetic analysis, question 3.