QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vigoreaux, J. O. Articles by Maughan, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vigoreaux, J. O. Articles by Maughan, D.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 201, Issue 13 2033-2044, Copyright © 1998 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

A genetic deficiency that spans the flightin gene of Drosophila melanogaster affects the ultrastructure and function of the flight muscles

JO Vigoreaux, C Hernandez, J Moore, G Ayer and D Maughan
Department of Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. jvigorea@zoo.uvm.edu

We have developed a reverse-genetic approach to study the function of flightin, a unique protein of the flight muscle myofibril of Drosophila melanogaster. We describe the generation and characterization of Df(3L)fln1, a lethal genetic deficiency in the 76BE region of the third chromosome which deletes several genes, including the gene for flightin. We show that heterozygous flies harboring the Df(3L)fln1 mutation exhibit both impaired flight and ultrastructural defects in their flight muscle myofibrils. We found that the mutation does not interfere with assembly of the myofibril but leads to disorganization of peripheral myofilaments in adult myofibrils. Most myofibrils, nevertheless, retain an intact core that represents approximately 80 % of the normal lattice diameter. Mechanical analysis of single skinned flight muscle fibers demonstrates that the mutation has no significant effect on net power output but increases the frequency at which maximum power is delivered to the wings, potentially reducing the overall performance of the flight system. The results suggest that flightin is an indispensable part of the flight muscle contractile mechanism.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. L. Hooper and J. B. Thuma Invertebrate Muscles: Muscle Specific Genes and Proteins Physiol Rev, July 1, 2005; 85(3): 1001 - 1060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Qiu, S. Brendel, P. M. F. Cunha, N. Astola, B. Song, E. E. M. Furlong, K. R. Leonard, and B. Bullard Myofilin, a protein in the thick filaments of insect muscle J. Cell Sci., April 1, 2005; 118(7): 1527 - 1536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Barton, G. Ayer, N. Heymann, D. W. Maughan, F.-O. Lehmann, and J. O. Vigoreaux Flight muscle properties and aerodynamic performance of Drosophila expressing a flightin transgene J. Exp. Biol., February 1, 2005; 208(3): 549 - 560. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Domazet-Loso and D. Tautz An Evolutionary Analysis of Orphan Genes in Drosophila Genome Res., October 1, 2003; 13(10): 2213 - 2219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Reedy, B. Bullard, and J. O. Vigoreaux Flightin Is Essential for Thick Filament Assembly and Sarcomere Stability in Drosophila Flight Muscles J. Cell Biol., December 27, 2000; 151(7): 1483 - 1500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F Liu, I Ortiz, A Hutagalung, C. Bauer, R. Cook, and H. Epstein Differential assembly of alpha- and gamma-filagenins into thick filaments in Caenorhabditis elegans J. Cell Sci., January 11, 2000; 113(22): 4001 - 4012. [Abstract] [PDF]