Hardin P E, Hall J C, Rosbash M
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254.
EMBO J. 1992 Jan;11(1):1-6. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05020.x.
Mutations in the disconnected (disco) gene act to disrupt neural cell patterning in the Drosophila visual system. These mutations also affect adult locomotor activity rhythms, as disco flies are arrhythmic under conditions of constant darkness (DD). To determine the state of the circadian pacemaker in disco mutants, we constructed with pers double mutants (a short period allele of the period gene) and assayed their behavioral rhythms in light-dark cycles (LD), and their biochemical rhythms of period gene expression under both LD and DD conditions. The results demonstrate that disco flies are rhythmic, indicating that they have an active circadian pacemaker that can be entrained by light. They also suggest that disco mutants block or interfere with elements of the circadian system located between the central pacemaker and its outputs that mediate overt rhythms.
不连续（disco）基因的突变会破坏果蝇视觉系统中的神经细胞模式。这些突变还会影响成年果蝇的运动活动节律，因为在持续黑暗（DD）条件下，disco果蝇没有节律。为了确定disco突变体中昼夜节律起搏器的状态，我们构建了pers双突变体（周期基因的一个短周期等位基因），并在明暗周期（LD）中测定它们的行为节律，以及在LD和DD条件下周期基因表达的生化节律。结果表明，disco果蝇有节律，这表明它们有一个活跃的昼夜节律起搏器，可以被光诱导。结果还表明，disco突变体阻断或干扰了位于中央起搏器及其介导明显节律的输出之间的昼夜节律系统元件。
