A tubulin promoter drives expression of vtd, which is tagged 12bp upstream of the translational stop codon with 10 copies of Tag:MYC. In addition, an SpeI site has been introduced into the vtd coding region after amino acid residue 271, and 3 tandem copies of the Tag:CS(TEVp) protein cleavage tag have been introduced into this site (this sequence allows cleavage of the vtd protein by TEV\NIa). The portion of the construct containing the vtd coding region and a 3'UTR sequence is flanked by an FRT cassette.
Females in which vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdunspecified background) show premature synaptonemal complex disassembly in egg chambers after cleavage of the vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC protein by expression of Zzzz\NIaS219V.Scer\UAS.P\T.T:Uuuu\nls6,T:SV5\V5 under the control of Scer\GAL4nos.PG.
Embryos expressing vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYCdisplay centromere disjoining, resulting in sister chromatids moving towards opposite poles.
Embryos in which vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3 background) show defects in embryonic mitotic cycles after cleavage of the vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC protein by expression of Zzzz\NIaScer\UAS.T:SV5\V5,T:SV40\nls2 under the control of Scer\GAL4mat.αTub67C.T:Hsim\VP16; cells initially undergo mitotic arrest during cycle 14, and chromosomes show unstable kinetochore attachment. After the initial mitotic arrest, chromosome decondensation starts abruptly and unattached chromatids in the central region are cut by the cleavage furrow.
Embryos in which vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3 background) show defects in embryonic mitotic cycles after cleavage of the vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC protein by expression of Zzzz\NIaScer\UAS.T:SV5\V5,T:SV40\nls2 under the control of Scer\GAL4mat.αTub67C.T:Hsim\VP16; no normal metaphase, anaphase or telophase figures are seen at mitosis 14. Bipolar spindles form, but during prometaphase sister chromatids disjoin prematurely and often segregate to opposite poles. Condensed chromosomes fail to align on a metaphase plate and are found scattered throughout the cells.
The presence of a TEV protease cleavable form of vtd (by expressing vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC and Zzzz\NIaScer\UAS.T:SV5\V5,T:SV40\nls2 in a vtdex3 mutant background) suppresses the chromosome segregation defects seen in embryos expressing aldScer\UAS.cAa under the control of Scer\GAL4mat.αTub67C.T:Hsim\VP16 in a mad2G6595 mutant background. This suppression does not occur in the absence of Zzzz\NIaScer\UAS.T:SV5\V5,T:SV40\nls2.
vtd271TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC rescues the lethality of vtdex8 animals.