Study of Drosophila Melanogaste

Genetics has many different fields of research, and one of the mcontenderost common organisms used for a better understanding is the Drosophila melanogaster. A discovered unknown mutant of the fruit fly differs phenotypically in eye coloration compared to the wild type. Wild type D. melanogaster tends to have vibrant red eyes with a slight black pseudo pupil (Figure 1, A). On the other hand, the unknown mutant has darker maroon eyes and no apparent pseudo pupil (Figure 1, B). Without a side-by-side comparison and the aid of a microscope, the color difference is hardly noticeable.

Other than the phenotype of the eye, there are no other evident differences between wild type and mutant, however, there is variance in early adult development between the wild type of the Drosophila melanogaster and the mutant. Everything between the mutant and wild type is similar during the developmental stages from egg too late pupa. Once enclosed, adult mutant and wild type are still extremely similar during the first 1-3 hours.

Both have the typical wild-type eye color, but once pigmentation starts to develop in areas such as the scutum and abdomen, the majority of the mutant’s eyes begin to darken, while wild-type eye color is stagnant. Comparing mutant males and females, they are quite similar. Both have the same phenotypic traits, and females tend to be larger than males, which is common for wild-type Drosophila melanogaster as well. This discovered unknown mutant will be nicknamed and referred to as geass (gea), named after the anime Code Geass.

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The main character of the anime obtains a supernatural power in his eye called Geass, which turns his eye color to maroon and allows him to give a command to anyone he looks at with his eye. The name is suiting since geass and the main character of Code Geass both have eye mutations that deepen their eye color to maroon.

Regarding eye mutations, there are a few Drosophila melanogaster species genes that could result in phenotypically similar mutations to the one of geass. The first is the gene ruby—ruby has an eye tetrahydrobiopterin tetrahydro pterin (PTP) synthase activity (3. Kim et al. 1996). Located at 2-54, without PTP the gene purple deepens in eye color with age to a purplish red.

With everything taken into consideration, each of the aforementioned genes is possible contenders that could give rise to a mutation very similar to that of glass. The reason being is that the outcome of each gene is a phenotype eye defect, mostly dealing with color, easily relating to the mutation of geass. Since eye color is the main fcontenderocus, these genes are best suited to give rise to geass if mutated.

Literature Cited

1. H. S. Forrest, J. L. Hubby, 1960 Studies on the Mutant Maroon-like in Drosophila Melanogaster. Genetics, 45(2), 211–224.
2. P.Grant, T. Maga, A. Loshakov, R. Singhal, A. Wali, et al., 2016 An Eye on Trafficking Genes: Identification of Four Eye color Mutations in Drosophila. G3 (Bethesda) 6(10): 3185–3196.
3. J.Kim, N. Kim, D. Park, C. Rosen, D. Dorsett, et al., 1996 Structure and Expression of Wild-Type and Suppressible Alleles of the Drosophila Purple Gene. Genetics, 142(4), 1157–1168.
4. D.Kretzschmar, B. Poeck, H. Roth, R. Ernst, A. Keller, et al., 2000 Defective pigment granule biogenesis and aberrant behavior caused by mutations in the Drosophila AP-3beta adaptin gene ruby. Genetics, 155(1), 213–223.
5. A.G.Reaume, D. A. Knecht, A. Chovnick, 1991 The Rosy Locus in Drosophila Melanogaster: Xanthine Dehydrogenase and Eye Pigments. Genetics, 129(4), 1099–1109.