The cubitus interruptus (ci) gene is a member of the Drosophila segment polarity gene family and encodes a protein with a zinc finger domain homologous to the vertebrate Gli genes and the nematode tra-1 gene. Three classes of existing mutations in the ci locus alter the regulation of ci expression and can be used to examine ci function during development. The first class of ci mutations causes interruptions in wing veins four and five due to inappropriate expression of the ci product in the posterior compartment of imaginal discs. The second class of mutations eliminates ci protein early in embryogenesis and causes the deletion of structures that are derived from the region including and adjacent to the engrailed expressing cells. The third class of mutations eliminates ci protein later in embryogenesis and blocks the formation of the ventral naked cuticle. The loss of ci expression at these two different stages in embryonic development correlates with the subsequent elimination of wingless expression. Adults heterozygous for the unique ciCe mutation have deletions between wing veins three and four. A similar wing defect is present in animals mutant for the segment polarity gene fused that encodes a putative serine/threonine kinase. In ciCe/+ and fused mutants, the deletions between wing veins three and four correlate with increased ci protein levels in the anterior compartment. Thus, proper regulation of both the ci mRNA and protein appears to be critical for normal Drosophila development.