Homeotic genes are thought to regulate each other. Are similar interactions observed between Hox genes?

Three-spined stickleback fish live in lakes formed when the last ice age ended 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. In lakes where the sticklebacks are prey for larger fish, they develop 35 bony plates along their body as armor. In contrast, sticklebacks in lakes where there are no predators develop only a few or no bony plates. In crosses between fish of the two different morphologies, the lack of bony armor segregates as a recessive trait that maps to the ectodermal dysplasin (Eda) gene. Comparisons between the Eda-coding regions of the armored and nonarmored fish revealed no differences. How can you explain this result?

Vulval development in C. elegans is dependent on the response of some of the central epidermal progenitor cells in the region of the developing vulva to a chemical signal from the gonad. Signaling from the gonad is blocked by action of the vulvaless mutant let-23 so that none of the central progenitor cells form vulval structures. In the vulvaless mutant, n300, the central progenitor cells do not form.

What phenotype (vulva formed or vulvaless) would you expect from the double mutant? Why?

Vulval development in C. elegans is dependent on the response of some of the central epidermal progenitor cells in the region of the developing vulva to a chemical signal from the gonad. Signaling from the gonad is blocked by action of the vulvaless mutant let-23 so that none of the central progenitor cells form vulval structures. In the vulvaless mutant, n300, the central progenitor cells do not form.

Which gene is likely to act earlier in the vulval developmental pathway?

The flowering jungle plant Lacandonia schismatica, discovered in southern Mexico, has a unique floral structure. Petal-like organs are in the outer whorls surrounding a number of carpels, and stamens are in the center of the flower. Closely related species are dioecious; female plants bear flowers that resemble those of Lacandonia, but without the central stamens. What type of mutation could have resulted in the evolution of Lacandonia flowers?

Homeotic genes are thought to regulate each other. What aspect of the phenotype of apetala2 agamous double mutants indicates that these two genes act antagonistically?

Basidiomycota is a monophyletic group of fungi that includes most of the common mushrooms. You are interested in the development of the body plan of mushrooms. How would you identify the genes required for patterning during mushroom development?

In Drosophila, loss-of-function Ultrabithorax mutations result in the posterior thoracic segments differentiating into body parts with an identity normally found in the anterior thoracic segments. When the Ultrabithorax gene was cloned, it was shown to encode a transcription factor and to be expressed only in the posterior region of the thorax. Thus, Ultrabithorax acts to specify the identity of the posterior thoracic segments. Similar genes were soon discovered in other animals, including mice and humans. You have found that mice possess two closely related genes, Hoxa7 and Hoxb4, which are orthologs of Ultrabithorax. You wish to know whether the two mouse genes act to specify the identity of body segments in mice.

How will you determine whether the mouse genes have redundant functions?

In land plants, there is an alternation of generations between a haploid gametophyte generation and a diploid sporophytic generation. Both generations are typically multicellular and may be free-living. The male (pollen) and female (embryo sac) gametophytes are the haploid generation of flowering plants.

How would you conduct a screen to identify genes required for male gametophyte development?