In Drosophila, the establishment of the anteroposterior (AP) axis occurs during oogenesis and is determined by the localisation of bicoid and oskar mRNA to the anterior and posterior of the oocyte, respectively, via microtubule cytoskeleton polarisation. To uncover additional genes involved in this process, Martin et al. performed an elegant genetic screen that, unlike previous genetic screens of AP axis determination,permits the recovery of lethal mutations (see p. 4201). By identifying, in living oocytes, chemical-induced mutations that disrupt the localisation of GFPStaufen in germline clones (because Staufen binds to both bicoid and oskar mRNA, GFP-Staufen is a marker for both poles of the oocyte at different developmental times), Martin et al. discovered 23 new complementation groups on chromosome 3R that disrupt AP axis formation. As a forerunner of what their results could eventually reveal about AP axis formation, the authors' characterisation of several mutations reported here indicate their involvement in microtubule organisation.
Screening for new AP axis determinants
Screening for new AP axis determinants. Development 1 September 2003; 130 (17): e1705. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
Development Journal Meeting 2023
-DevMeeting.png?versionId=4659)
We are delighted to announce that our 2023 Journal Meeting ‘Unconventional and Emerging Experimental Organisms in Cell and Developmental Biology’ will be held from 17-20 September 2023 at Wotton House, Surrey, UK. Find out more and register here.
Call for papers: Metabolic and Nutritional Control of Development and Regeneration

We are welcoming submissions for our next special issue, which will focus on metabolic and nutritional control of development and regeneration. Submission deadline: 15 May 2023.
preLights 5th Birthday webinar

preLights, our preprint highlighting service, is celebrating its 5th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, join us online on 14 March 2023 at 16:00 GMT for a discussion, led by four preLights alumni, on how to identify and navigate the challenges and opportunities while shaping your career as an early-career researcher.
Transitions in development: Daniel Grimes

Daniel Grimes’s lab studies the consequences of ciliary mutations, including left-right patterning defects and scoliosis. We interviewed Daniel to find out more about his career path, his experience of becoming a group leader and the influence of Jurassic Park.
Preprints in Development
(update)-InPreprints.png?versionId=4659)
As part of our efforts to support the use of preprints and help curate the preprint literature, we are delighted to launch a new article type: ‘In preprints’. These pieces will discuss one or more recent preprints and place them in a broader context.