We performed an EMS screen using the deficiency sDf121 in order to isolate mutations in a gene, C05D2.5, involved in meiotic chromosome segregation (see Kuervers and Baillie poster). In the process of analyzing what appeared to be chromosome segregation mutants, we discovered a new transformer (tra) mutant. This mutant produces wild-type fertile hermaphrodites and infertile transformed hermaphrodites. The transformed hermaphrodites exhibit a variety of abnormal phenotypes including the presence of a few oocytes in an otherwise male germline, abnormal male tail formation, and abnormal gonad morphology. Interestingly, the phenotype is lost upon crossing with wild-type males but not lost when crossed to
dpy-17(
e164) heterozygous males. Therefore, the CB164 strain may bring in a hidden mutation that interacts with the tra mutation isolated in this screen to produce a transformed phenotype. Either mutant alone does not produce a transformer phenotype. We are currently attempting to determine the nature of this hidden mutation.