Discuss the relationship between gap rule gene mutations, pair-rule gene mutations, and segment polarity gene mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. Solution Segmentation in Drosophila is controlled by gene expression cascade that occur in a sequential order. The maternal effect genes form the anterior and posterior poles in the embryo. The spatial pattern of segments is controlled by transcription regulation of gap genes. The gap genes express the overlapping segments of anterior and posterior poles. The gap genes regulate next set of genes called pair rule genes. These genes are expressed in 7 stripes corresponding to each segment. Pair rule genes express the transcription factors regulating the segment polarity genes. These genes are expressed as 14 segmentally repeated stripes. The segment polarity genes express regulatory proteins and transcription factors that maintain interaction between cells and finally, homeotic genes control the character of each segment. The missing segments producing gaps are known by Krüppel mutants resulting in missing of T1- A5 segments. Hunchback mutants are missing head segments and knirps mutants lack posterior segments. Mutations in pair-rule genes- result in half the number of parasegments.The fushi- tarazu mutants lack odd-numbered parasegments and even-skipped mutants lack even-numbered parasegments. Mutations in segment polarity genes- result in duplication of the anterior or posterior half within each segment. The gooseberry and engrailed mutants have the posterior part of each segment replaced by the anterior part of the adjacent segment..