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 550, 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 vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdunspecified background) show premature synaptonemal complex disassembly in egg chambers after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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.
Larvae in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3/vtdex15 background) show defects in the salivary glands after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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\GAL4hs.2sev at 18[o]C; the salivary glands are smaller than normal and have smaller nuclei than normal. The number of cells per salivary gland is unaltered.
Animals in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3/vtdex15 background) show defects in pruning of γ neurons in the mushroom body after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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\GAL4H24; larval γ neurons initially project into the dorsal and medial lobes as occurs in wild type, but at 24 hours after puparium formation, axon projections persist in the mutant medial and dorsal lobes and unpruned dendrites are seen (control animals have pruned the medial and dorsal axon projections of the γ neurons as well as their dendrites at this time). At 4 days after pupariation, the persisting γ neuron projections are often disorganised and mistargeted in the mutant pupae.
Animals in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3/vtdex15 background) show no mitotic defects in cholinergic neurons after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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\GAL4Cha.7.4.
Animals in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3/vtdex15 background) show no defects in polytene chromosome morphology after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC protein by expression of Zzzz\NIaScer\UAS.T:SV5\V5,T:SV40\nls2 (using heat shock).
Animals in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex15 background) show developmental arrest and lethality after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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 either Scer\GAL4elav.PLu or Scer\GAL4nSyb.PS.
Animals in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex3/vtdex15 background) show defects in pruning of γ neurons in the mushroom body after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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\GAL4Tab2-201Y; the γ neurons are not pruned during pupariation.
Animals in which vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC is the sole source of vtd protein (carrying vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC in a vtdex15 background) show locomotion defects after cleavage of the vtd550TEV.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\GAL4Cha.7.4; third instar mutant larvae have severely reduced locomotion compared to controls. The mutant larvae curve repetitively, frequently turn their heads and even move backwards.
vtd550TEV.tub.T:Zzzz\TEV.CS,T:Hsap\MYC rescues the lethality of vtdex15 animals.