TheTofumutation restores female fertility toDrosophilawith a nullBEAFmutation

Abstract

Compensatory mutations offer clues to deciphering the role of a particular protein in cellular processes. Here we investigate an unknown compensatory mutation, present in theBEAFNP6377fly line, that provides sufficient rescue of the defective ovary phenotype caused by nullBEAFalleles to allow maintenance of fly stocks lacking the chromatin domain insulator proteins Boundary Element-Associated Factors BEAF-32A and BEAF-32B. We call this mutationTofu. We employ both classical genetics and genomic sequencing to attempt to identify the mutation. We find evidence that points to a mutation in a predicted Polycomb response element upstream of theribbongene, which may lead to aberrantribexpression.