The influence of morphogene Wg on the formation of an ectopic eye in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

Due to the ectopic expression of the ey gene in the wing imaginal disc under the action of the 1096-Gal4 driver, a part of the wing disc cells change their fate and become eye cells. Ectopic eyes are induced in definite regions of the wing disc and form a stable pattern on the wing of an adult fly. Here, we have shown that the ectopic expression of Wg inhibits the formation of ectopic eyes, and conversely the expression of Wg is reduced in the sites of ectopic Ey expression. Experiments with overexpression of the vesicular traffic protein Hrs capable of inhibiting the Wg signaling agree with the notion on antagonism of Wg and Ey in ectopic eyes. Our results confirm that the processes of formation of normal and ectopic eyes are principally similar with regard to genetic control.