Members of thePolycomb (Pc) group of genes are required for the correct determination of segment identity, and are thought to be negative regulators of thebithorax andAntennapedia complexes. This hypothesis has been tested molecularly for only some members of thePc group. Here, we examine the distribution ofUltrabithorax (Ubx),Antennapedia (Antp), andSex combs reduced (Scr) proteins in the epidermis, central nervous system, and midgut of embryos homozygous for mutations in tenPc group genes. We show that zygotic loss of mostPc group genes causes ectopic expression ofUbx andAntp, but that there are differences in time and tissue-specificity. FivePc group mutations lack midgut constrictions and also exhibit ectopic or suppressedUbx expression and suppression ofAntp expression. Distribution ofAntp is upset earlier than distribution ofUbx in the central nervous system of everyPc group mutant affecting both genes. Loss of the zygotic products ofPolycomb, extra sex combs, andAdditional sex combs cause ectopic expression ofScr in epidermis, and allPc group genes exceptPsc have suppressedScr expression in the nervous system. These results are discussed with respect to the function of thePc group.

Mutations in several Polycomb (Pc) group genes cause maternal-effect or zygotic segmentation defects, suggesting that Pc group genes may regulate the segmentation genes of Drosophila. We show that individuals doubly heterozygous for mutations in polyhomeotic and six other Pc group genes show gap, pair rule, and segment polarity segmentation defects. We examined double heterozygous combinations of Pc group and segmentation mutations for enhancement of adult and embryonic segmentation defects. Posterior sex combs and polyhomeotic interact with Krüppel and enhance embryonic phenotypes of hunchback and knirps, and polyhomeotic enhances even-skipped. Surprisingly, flies carrying duplications of extra sex combs (esc), that were heterozygous for mutations of even-skipped (eve), were extremely subvital. Embryos and surviving adults of this genotype showed strong segmentation defects in even-numbered segments. Antibody studies confirm that expression of eve is suppressed by duplications of esc. However, esc duplications have no effect on other gap or pair rule genes tested. To our knowledge, this is only the second triplo-abnormal phenotype associated with Pc group genes. Duplications of nine other Pc group genes have no detectable effect on eve. Expression of engrailed (en) was abnormal in the central nervous systems of most Pc group mutants. These results support a role for Pc genes in regulation of some segmentation genes, and suggest that esc may act differently from other Pc group genes.

Gap junctions first appear during compaction in the eight-cell stage of mouse development. Their assembly can be initiated in the near absence of transcription and protein synthesis from the four-cell stage, indicating the existence of preformed precursors. We have investigated the temporal control of this event, focusing on the possible involvement of the cytoskeleton, cell flattening, and cytokinesis. Embryos in various cleavage stages were treated with cytochalasins, to disrupt microrflaments and block cell flattening, cytokinesis, or both, or nocodazole, to promote microtubule depolymerization. To assess their capacity to initiate gap junction assembly after such treatments, the embryos were then aggregated with communication-competent, compacted embryos that had been labeled with carboxyfluorescein

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