Gastrulation and dorsal-ventral axis formation in Drosophila are interrelated processes which result from a complex hierarchy of maternal and zygotic gene interactions. The product of a gene essential for these processes, the maternally expressed gastrulation defective (gd) gene has been partially characterized. The gd gene encodes three proteins present only in ovaries and early embryos. These could arise through transcriptional or translational regulation. The former possibility will be examined by nuclease protection analysis of gd transcripts and the latter by metabolic labeling studies and by immunoaffinity purifying and physically characterizing the three proteins. In addition, the effect of mutations in other genes affecting dorsal-ventral polarity on the gd proteins will be investigated. %%% The body plan of the Drosophila larva is generated progressively during early stages of embryogenesis through an interacting hierarchy of gene products. Dr. Konrad will characterize one of these genes which will help to define the overall hierarchy of control.
