Most embryos derived from homozygous female germline clones die prior to hatching (regardless of whether the paternal chromosome carries bek1 or bek+). Most of these embryos die early in development. Of those that do deposit cuticle, about half have segmentation defects, with the most common defect being deletion of the T3 denticle belt, although many embryos show ftz-like pair-rule defects of varying severity. Embryos derived from homozygous female germline clones have nuclei irregularly arranged at the cortex at the cellular blastoderm stage, with some nuclei laying more internally than others.
bek1/bek[+] is an enhancer | maternal effect of partially lethal | heat sensitive phenotype of ftz5/ftz13
bek1 has embryonic segment | maternal effect | germline clone phenotype, enhanceable by ftz[+]/ftz13
bek1/bek[+] is an enhancer of embryonic segment phenotype of ftz5/ftz13
bek1 dominantly enhances the lethality of ftz5/ftz13 animals at 26.5oC (fewer animals survive to adulthood). This interaction is a maternal effect. bek1 dominantly enhances the segmentation defects seen in ftz5/ftz13 embryos at 27.5oC; 92.5% of the embryos have segment defects and 61.9% have at least 3 ftz-dependent segments affected. The frequency of segmentation defects seen in embryos derived from a cross of bek1/+ males to females carrying homozygous bek1 germline clones is increased if the fathers also carry ftz13.
