Download Animal Development and Homeotic Genes

Animal Development and Homeotic Genes
go to : http://www.dnaftb.org/37/
1. What are the stages of fruit fly development?
2. When the embryo is developing, there are proteins concentrated at different
places. These proteins (transcription factors) turn on specific
__________________ __________________ needed for the next stage of
development.
3. What do the embryonic genes do for the embryo?
4. What is a "gap" gene?
5. What is a pair-rule gene?
6. What are homeotic genes?
7. Why is it likely that ancestors of fruit flies had 2 pair of wings? What gene causes
them to have only one pair of wings?
8. Fruit fly segments are essentially the same because they have the potential to
make the same types of structures. It’s the correct expression of the homeotic
genes that dictates which segment makes a particular type of structure. Explain this
statement using the fruit fly example. You may want to study the picture as well.
9. Draw how the bithorax homeotic genes look on a chromosome. Now draw the
fruit fly and color code which genes code for which structures on the fruit fly. You
should focus on purple, green, and gray since this homeotic cluster codes for the
specialization of thoracic and abdominal cell/proteins.
10. What is the homeobox, and how many of the SAME amino acids does the
homeobox code for?
11. So after really studying the animation of those 60 amino acids (homeobox
proteins), you should recognize that they are proteins that can be activators of gene
expression or they can inhibit gene expression.
Give an example of how the homeobox proteins can activate gene expression in
fruit flies and how they can inhibit gene expression.
12. Are mammal’s bodies in segments like the fruit fly?
13. What are our homeotic genes called?
14. Draw the hox gene in mice and draw the mouse embryo. Color code each gene
in the hox cluster and match it to the part of the mouse it codes for. Do this just like
you did number 9.
Describe each of the following mutant flies:
kruppel mutant
fushi tarazu mutant
Ubx mutant
Antp mutant
Go to the link: "problem"
7. What will happen to an embryo that doesn't have BICOID protein?
8. What will happen if BICOID is overexpressed?
9. What kind of gene is HAIRY?
10. What kind of gene is EYELESS?