Biessmann H
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Nov;82(21):7369-73. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.21.7369.
The yellow gene (y) is involved in pattern-specific melanin pigmentation of the cuticle of the adult fly and of larval mouth parts of Drosophila melanogaster. I have isolated some 70 kilobases (kb) of contiguous DNA from the y region. Chromosomal aberrations of y1-type alleles (null alleles) and y2-type alleles that give rise to characteristic pattern mosaicism of pigmentation were mapped by Southern blot analysis. The y2 allele is associated with the insertion of a "gypsy" transposable element 0.9 kb distal to the putative y coding region. A 3.1-kb region to which breakpoints of all y1-type alleles could be mapped is homologous to a 2.0-kb polyadenylylated mRNA, the expression of which is specifically regulated in development. This putative y gene transcript is present at high levels in pupae when melanization of the adult cuticle occurs, but its steady-state levels change dramatically during development, being highest in late embryos prior to hatching. This suggests that, in addition to melanin synthesis and/or deposition, the y gene product may have a role in other possibly neural functions.
黄色基因（y）参与成年果蝇表皮以及黑腹果蝇幼虫口器的特定模式黑色素沉着。我从y区域分离出了约70千碱基（kb）的连续DNA。通过Southern印迹分析对导致色素沉着特征性模式嵌合体的y1型等位基因（无效等位基因）和y2型等位基因的染色体畸变进行了定位。y2等位基因与一个“gypsy”转座元件在推定的y编码区域远端0.9 kb处的插入有关。所有y1型等位基因的断点都可定位到的一个3.1 kb区域与一个2.0 kb的多聚腺苷酸化mRNA同源，该mRNA的表达在发育过程中受到特异性调控。当成年表皮发生黑化时，这种推定的y基因转录本在蛹中含量很高，但其稳态水平在发育过程中变化显著，在孵化前的晚期胚胎中最高。这表明，除了黑色素合成和/或沉积外，y基因产物可能在其他可能的神经功能中起作用。
