Exploring a Myosin VIIa as a Possible Interactor with GDI in Vesicle Transport during Drosophila Development

Janetta Iwanicki
Pomona College

The protein Rab GDP-dissociation inhibitor (GDI) has been shown to play an important role in vesicle transport-mediated processes in many species, including Drosophila melanogaster. Previous research has indicated that other proteins interact with and possibly regulate the activity of GDI, and consequently affect the same vesicle transport pathways. In order to identify a protein in Drosophila that interacts with GDI, functional deletion mapping has been used. Two deletion mutants—1491 and 3588—interact with the GDI null allele AF160 to yield female flies that are doubly-heterozygous and are unable to produce progeny. This indicates that a protein interacting with GDI is encoded by a gene contained within these deleted areas, located in the polytene region 35B-E. The phenotype of the interactor females 1491/AF160 seems to indicate that these females have normal ovaries, but are not courted by males and consequently do not mate or produce progeny.