# 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.

## Key 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.