Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Anterior and posterior compartments in the head of Drosophila

Abstract

A COMPARTMENT1 is a precisely demarcated region of an adult insect which is made by a group of related cells. This group (a polyclone2) consists of all the descendents of several founder cells which were set aside at an earlier stage. The developmental pathway followed by a growing polyclone depends on the local state of a small number of controlling ‘selector’ genes3. One example is the engrailed gene which is thought to determine the ‘posterior’ rather than the ‘anterior’ pathway of development and is used in several different segments of the developing fly4–6. The thorax of Drosophila is constructed on these simple principles; each of the three segments consists of two polyclones which generate the anterior and posterior compartments1,7. The proboscis is similarly subdivided8 but the abdominal segments are probably not9. The segmental status of the head is controversial10–12. Here we summarise three lines of evidence which show that the main part of the ‘head’—the cuticular parts formed by the eye-antennal disc13—is constructed on the same principles as a thoracic segment.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Garcia-Bellido, A., Ripoll, P. & Morata, G. Nature new Biol. 245, 251–253 (1973).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Crick, F. H. C. & Lawrence, P. A. Science 189, 340–347 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Garcia-Bellido, A. in Ciba Fdn Symp. 29, 161–182 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Garcia-Bellido, A. & Santamaria, P. Genetics 72, 87–107 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Morata, G. & Lawrence, P. A. Nature 225, 614–617 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lawrence, P. A. & Morata, G. Devl Biol. 50, 321–337 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Steiner, E. Wilhelm Roux Arch. 180, 9–30 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Struhl, G. Nature 270, 723–725 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lawrence, P. A., Green, S. M. & Johnston, P. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 43, 233–245 (1978).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Snodgrass, R. E. Smiths. Misc. Coll. 81, No. 3, 1–158 (1928).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Matsuda, R. Mem. Am. ent. Inst. No. 4 (1965).

  12. Anderson, D. T. Embryology and Phylogeny in Annelids and Arthropods (Pergamon, Oxford, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gehring, W. & Nöthiger, R. in Developmental Systems: Insects (eds Counce, S. & Waddington, C. H.) 211–290 (Academic, New York, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Becker, H. J. Z. indukt. Vererb. Lehre 88, 333–373 (1957).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bryant, P. J. & Schneiderman, H. A. Devl Biol. 20, 263–290 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Garcia-Bellido, A. & Merriam, J. Devl Biol. 24, 61–87 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Morata, G. & Ripoll, P. Devl Biol. 42, 211–221 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Campos-Ortega, J. A. & Waitz, M. Wilhelm Roux Arch. 184, 155–170 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ready, D. F., Hanson, T. E. & Benzer, S. Devl Biol. 53, 217–240 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Baker, W. K. Devl Biol. 62, 447–463 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lindley, D. L. & Grell, E. H. Genetic Variations of Drosophila melanogaster (Carnegie Institute, Washington, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Gehring, W. Arch. Julius Klaus Stift. Vererb. Forsch. 41, 44–54 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Goldschmidt, E. & Lederman-Klein, A. J. Hered. 49, 262–266 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wieschaus, E. & Gehring, W. Devl Biol. 50, 249–263 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lawrence, P. A. & Morata, G. Devl Biol. 56, 40–51 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ferrus, A. Genetics 79, 589–599 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MORATA, G., LAWRENCE, P. Anterior and posterior compartments in the head of Drosophila. Nature 274, 473–474 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274473a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/274473a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing