The GEKU insertional mutagenesis screen

In order to learn about the genes involved in segmentation, various homologous genes have been isolated from the beetle and their expression and function have been compared to their fly orthologs. However, this approach will not identify genes that are crucial in the beetle but not in the fly.

In order to identify such genes, we have participated the first large scale insertional mutagenesis screen outside Drosophila. This "GEKU" screen was a joint effort of the labs in Göttingen (PI: Ernst Wimmer), Erlangen (PI: Martin Klingler), Kansas State University (PI: Sue Brown) and the USDA grain marketing and production research center (PI: Dick Beeman). Both mutants and enhancer traps have been identified and are available at the "GEKU-Base".

Get involved!

If you are interested in specific phenotypes of beetle development, feel free to contact us. We will be happy to provide you with our lines for screening or send you the enhancer traps that you would like to work with.

The technique:

A genetic element is allowed to "jump" within the genome thereby arbitrarily disrupting the function of genes. The mutator element is based on a piggy Bac transposon, while the piggy Bac transposase is provided by an insertion of a "Minos" transposable element. As markers, diverse GFP variants, dsRed and the vermillion gene are being used for different constructs. (Horn et al, 2002/2003).

The helper strain (carrying the transposase) is crossed with a mutator strain that carries an easily detectable enhancer trap. In offspring that have lost the enhancer trap but retain the eye specific expression of the marker, the mutator must have jumped from its original position to a novel locus.

© Gregor Bucher, last update: September 09