A control construct was also made by changing two of four bases in the PDZ domain binding motif. Besides learning where the strabismus gene is expressed, learning the expression locations of the fat gene was another of my projects. I worked with Amy Schrecengost, another lab worker, to make progress towards this goal. I performed a PCR reaction on a specific portion of the genomic DNA and transcribed the product with DIG-labeled urasil. I then hybridized the RNA probe to the corresponding mRNA molecules.
Polarity occurs in many tissues and is often required for proper development.
Learning about polarization using the fly eye gives clues to the process of polarization in other organisms. Although I did not have the opportunity to see the construct project through to completion, I did view the results of the fat probe in situ hybridization. The data I collected is just another piece of the puzzle in our quest for understanding of the polarization process.