Nature. 1983;306(5943):591-3. doi: 10.1038/306591a0.
Each body segment of Drosophila follows a unique developmental pathway, controlled by the selective expression of homoeotic genes such as Sex combs reduced (Scr)and the bithorax complex (BX-C). Little is known about the regulation of these genes, though several potential activators or repressers have been described. For instance, absence of the extra sex combs (esc) gene product apparently causes adventitious expression of all the BX-C genes in most or all larval body segments. Absence of the trithorax (trx) gene appears to prevent Scr and BX-C expression but only in adult cells; differentiation of the larval segments is only slightly affected. I show here that the correct segmental differentiation of the larva does not require maternally deposited trx+ product, but that the esc mutant phenotype is suppressed by the removal of the trx gene, which implies that the BX-C can be differentially expressed in the absence of both the trx gene and the esc gene product.
果蝇的每个体节都遵循独特的发育途径，由同源异型基因的选择性表达控制，如 Sex combs reduced（Scr）和双胸复合体（BX-C）。尽管已经描述了几种潜在的激活剂或抑制剂，但对于这些基因的调控知之甚少。例如，缺失额外的梳子（esc）基因产物显然会导致大多数或所有幼虫体节中所有 BX-C 基因的异位表达。trithorax（trx）基因的缺失似乎会阻止 Scr 和 BX-C 的表达，但仅在成年细胞中；幼虫体节的分化仅受到轻微影响。我在这里表明，幼虫的正确体节分化并不需要母体沉积的 trx+产物，但 esc 突变体表型被 trx 基因的缺失所抑制，这意味着在缺失 trx 基因和 esc 基因产物的情况下，BX-C 可以差异表达。
