The Drosophila who (wings held-out) gene functions during the late sta
ges of somatic muscle development when myotubes migrate and attach to
specific epidermal sites, Animals lacking who function are capable of
forming multinucleate myotubes, but these cells are restricted in migr
ation. who mutants die at the end of embryogenesis with the posterior
end of their cuticles arrested over the dorsal surface, Animals that p
ossess weak who mutations either die as pupae, or survive as adults wi
th defects in wing position. These phenotypes indicate that who also f
unctions during metamorphosis, when muscles are reorganized to support
adult structures and behavior, These embryonic and metamorphosis defe
cts are similar to the phenotypes produced by previously identified ge
nes that function in either muscle development or steroid signaling pa
thways. who transcription occurs in muscle and muscle attachment site
cells during both embryogenesis and metamorphosis, and is inducible by
the steroid ecdysone at the onset of metamorphosis. who encodes a pro
tein that contains a KH RNA binding domain, Animals that possess a mut
ation in a conserved loop that links predicted alpha and beta structur
es of this RNA binding motif lack who function, These results indicate
that who plays an essential role in steroid regulation of muscle deve
lopment.