purpleoid 1 , a classic Drosophila eye color mutation, is an allele of the t-SNARE-encoding gene SNAP29

TL;DR

A long-known fruit fly eye color mutation called purpleoid is found to be a variant of the SNAP29 gene, which is involved in cell membrane processes.

Contribution

The paper identifies the genetic basis of the purpleoid mutation as a missense variant in the SNAP29 gene.

Findings

The pd1 mutation is a missense mutation in the SNAP29 gene.

SNAP29 is a key component of the SNARE complex involved in vesicle trafficking.

The mutation can be used to study eye pigmentation and SNARE complex assembly.

Abstract

The
Drosophila
mutant eye color trait
purpleoid
(
pd
) was first observed by Calvin Bridges over a century ago. Although
pd
mutant strains have been maintained ever since, the
pd
locus has not been identified. Using complementation tests, genetic rescue, and DNA sequencing, we show that

pd
1

is a missense mutation in
SNAP29
; this gene encodes a key component of the SNARE complex, which facilitates vesicle docking and fusion at cellular membranes. After describing how

pd
1

was mapped, we discuss ways that the mutation could be used in future studies of eye pigmentation, SNARE complex assembly, and vesicle trafficking.

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