2-DIMENSIONAL GEL ANALYSIS OF PROTEINS IN THE DROSOPHILA WING IMAGINAL DISC MUTANTS FAT AND LETHAL-(2) GIANT DISCS

High-resolution two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis coupled with computer analysis has been used to construct a quantitative protein da tabase of Drosophila mature wing imaginal discs. The level of expressi on for all of the detected proteins has been quantitatively determined . This database has been used to evaluate changes in the patterns of p rotein synthesis in wing imaginal discs from two Drosophila melanogast er mutants with abnormal wing disc development: fat (ft) and two diffe rent alleles of lethal (2) giant disc (l(2)gd). Patterns of pulse-labe led proteins of the different mutants show variations in both qualitat ive and quantitative parameters of synthesis. In this comparison we ha ve detected specific sets of protein changes characteristic of both al leles of the same locus and a set of protein changes common to both lo ci. How the abnormal expression of these proteins relates to the abnor mal process of mutant hyperplasia is discussed. (C) 1998 Academic Pres s.