Dura, J.M., Deatrick, J., Randsholt, N.B., Brock, H.W., Santamaria, P. (1988). Maternal and zygotic requirement for the polyhomeotic complex genetic locus in Drosophila.  Rouxs Arch. Dev. Biol. 197(): 239--246.

FBrf0047821

Research paper

The complex genetic locuspolyhomeotic (ph) is a member of thePolycomb (Pc)-group of genes and as such is required for the normal expression of ANT-C and BX-C genes. It also has probably other functions since amorphicph alleles display a cell death phenotype in the ventral epidermis of 12-h-old embryos. Here it is shown that lethal alleles ofph (amorph and strong hypomorph) show transformation of most of their segments towards AB8. Theph (+) product is required autonomously in imaginal cells. The total lack ofph (+) function prevents viability of the cuticular derivatives of these cells.ph has a strong maternal effect on segmental identity and epidermal development that can not be rescued by one paternally supplied dose ofph (+) in the zygote. These phenotypes differ substantially from those of previously describedPc-group genes. AmongPc-group genes,ph seems to be the only one that is strongly required both maternally and zygotically for normal embryonic development.