Worm Breeder's Gazette 6(1): 40
These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.
We have identified several classes of mutations affecting vulva development in C. elegans that map within a small region of LGIII near unc-32.(1) lin-9(n112), in combination with lin-8(n111) II confers a multivulva (Muv) phenotype. The lin-9(n112) mutation alone confers no visible phenotype. (2) lin-12(n137, n177, n427) are semidominant Muv mutations. Heterozygous males mate well and generally have a single protrusion near the tail; homozygous males are unable to mate and have several pseudovulvae along the ventral side. Both heterozygous and homozygous hermaphrodites have multiple pseudovulvae and almost never have a functional vulva, although heterozygotes are distinguishably healthier than homozygotes. (3) n302 is a dominant vulvaless (Vul) mutation. Approximately 2/3 of the heterozygous and >99% of the homozygous hermaphrodites are Vul. The homozygous males are able to mate and appear to have a wild-type phenotype. (4) n379 is a dominant Vul mutation of incomplete penetrance. Approximately 1/20 of the heterozygous and 95% of the homozygous hermaphrodites are Vul. The homozygous males are able to mate and appear to have a wild-type phenotype. (5) At least 7 tightly linked revertants of n137 and n177 are recessive weak to moderate Vul at 25 C but semidominant Muv at 15 C (6) At least 2 tightly linked revertants of n302 are recessive weak Vul at 25 C but semidominant Muv at 15 C. (7) At least 3 tightly linked revertants of n302 are weak Vul at all temperatures. Revertants of n137, n177, and n302 were isolated by picking eggs laid by F2 progeny of hermaphrodites mutagenized with EMS. Unlinked recessive and unlinked dominant suppressors of n137, n177, and n302 were also isolated. Not all complementation tests among these various mutations, and between these mutations and have been completed. We do not yet know the number of complementation groups involved, but the patterns appear to be complex: some of the heterozygous combinations have phenotypes intermediate between those of the parents, and others appear to have more extreme (suppressed or enhanced) phenotypes. The data so far suggest that these mutations define genes that interact to affect vulva development. [See Figure 1] nDf17 was isolated by complementation screening: N2 males were mutagenized with gamma-rays and crossed with unc-36(e251)dpy-18(e364) hermaphrodites. F1 Unc-36 progeny hermaphrodites were crossed with males heterozygous for LGIII markers to determine if a deficiency was generated.