Describes two blotting methods (i.e., Northern blotting and Western blotting) used to detect gene products. Northern blotting detects RNA and Western blotting detects proteins. Suppose that a female fruit fly is heterozygous for a maternal effect gene, gene B. The female is Bb. The dominant allele, B, encodes a functional mRNA that is 550 nucleotides long. A recessive allele, b, encodes a shorter mRNA that is 375 nucleotides long. (Allele b is due to a deletion within this gene.) How could you use one or both of the blotting methods to show that nurse cells transfer gene products from gene B to developing oocytes? You may assume that you can dissect the ovaries of fruit flies and isolate oocytes separately from nurse cells. In your answer, describe your expected results.