Subject: FB-NG Help Mail: Gene data (problem or question)
comments: The map position of stambh A has been corrected to 44D1-2 (Kumar
et al, 2001, Journal of Genetics.  80:83-95 ). This may please be corrected in
FLYBASE records. stambhA was discovered by our group 20 years back in
1985(Shyngle and sharma, Indian J of Exptl Biol.  23:235-240  during a search
for ts paralytic mutants.
Based upon alleles taken from us the gene has been recently been
identified to be a lipase involved in phototransduction (Huang et al, 2004.
Nature Neuroscience,7: 1070-1078). Huang et al have however renamed stambh A
as `Rolling blackout', which is not warranted. stambh is a Sanskrit word
meaning `cessation in general and of locomotion in particular '. This word
describes the properties of the temperature sensitive paralysis and
temperature sensitive phototransduction properties of the mutant very aptly
and should not be changed .It is unreasonable to rename genes based upon
restricted facets of their function. It is appropriate to mention here that
the gene `wingless' also was discovered in our laboratory in New Delhi, India
in 1976(Sharma, R.P and Chopra V.L). However its name is retained eventhough
it has myriad phenotypes other than 'winglessness'. I trust that FLYBASE will
agree with me over the use of stambh A in preference to Rolling blackout.
Shanti Chandrashekaran,
I.C.A.R. National Fellow,
Division of Genetics,
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
New Delhi 110012.
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