A specific chromosome element, the telomere of Drosophila polytene chromosomes

Chromosoma ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. D. Berendes ◽  
G. F. Meyer
1989 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Charlesworth ◽  
Angela Lapid

SummaryData were collected on the distribution of ten families of transposable elements among fourteen X chromosomes isolated from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster, by means of in situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes. It was found that, with the exception of roo, the copy number per chromosome followed a Poisson distribution. There was no evidence for linkage disequilibrium, either within or between families. Some pairs of families of elements were correlated with respect to the identity of the sites that were occupied in the sample, although there was no evidence for a correlation with respect to the sites at which elements attained relatively high frequencies. Elements appeared to be distributed randomly along the distal part of the X chromosome. There was, however, a strong tendency for elements to accumulate at the base of the chromosome. Element frequencies per chromosome band were generally low, except at the base of the chromosome where bands in subdivisions 19E and 20A sometimes had high frequencies of occupation. These results are discussed in the light of models of the population dynamics of transposable elements. It is concluded that they provide strong evidence for the operation of a force or forces opposing transpositional increase in copy number. The accumulation of elements at the base of the chromosome is consistent with the idea that unequal exchange between elements at non-homologous sites is such a force, although other possibilities cannot be excluded at present. The data suggest that the rate of transposition per element per generation is of the order of 10−4, for the elements included in this study.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 517-529
Author(s):  
Kuldeep Singh ◽  
D S Multani ◽  
Gurdev S Khush

Abstract Secondary trisomics and telotrisomics representing the 12 chromosomes of rice were isolated from the progenies of primary trisomics. A large population of each primary trisomic was grown. Plants showing variation in gross morphology compared to the primary trisomics and disomic sibs were selected and analyzed cytologically at diakinesis and pachytene. Secondary trisomics for both arms of chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 7 and 11 and for one arm of chromosomes 4, 5, 8, 9 and 12 were identified. Telotrisomics for short arm of chromosomes 1, 8, 9 and 10 and for long arms of chromosomes 2, 3 and 5 were isolated. These secondary and telotrisomics were characterized morphologically and for breeding behavior. Secondary trisomics 2n + 1S · 1S, 2n + 1L · 1L, 2n + 2S · 2S, 2n + 2L · 2L, 2n + 6S · 6S, 2n + 6L · 6L and 2n + 7L · 7L are highly sterile, and 2n + 1L · 1L, 2n + 2L · 2L and 2n + 7L · 7L do not set any seed even upon backcrossing. Telotrisomics are fertile and vigorous. Genetic segregation of 43 marker genes was studied in the F2 or backcross progenies. On the basis of segregation data, these genes were delimited to specific chromosome arms. Correct orientation of 10 linkage groups was determined and centromere positions on nine linkage groups were approximated. A revised linkage map of rice is presented.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 647-656
Author(s):  
William B Eggleston ◽  
Nac R Rim ◽  
Johng K Lim

Abstract The structure of chromosomal inversions mediated by hobo transposable elements in the Uc-1 X chromosome was investigated using cytogenetic and molecular methods. Uc-1 contains a phenotypically silent hobo element inserted in an intron of the Notch locus. Cytological screening identified six independent Notch mutations resulting from chromosomal inversions with one breakpoint at cytological position 3C7, the location of Notch. In situ hybridization to salivary gland polytene chromosomes determined that both ends of each inversion contained hobo and Notch sequences. Southern blot analyses showed that both breakpoints in each inversion had hobo-Notch junction fragments indistinguishable in structure from those present in the Uc-1 X chromosome prior to the rearrangements. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 12 hobo-Notch junction fragments in the six inversions, followed by DNA sequence analysis, determined that each was identical to one of the two hobo-Notch junctions present in Uc-1. These results are consistent with a model in which hobo-mediated inversions result from homologous pairing and recombination between a pair of hobo elements in reverse orientation.


Genetics ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-482
Author(s):  
Hampton L Carson

ABSTRACT Of 103 picture-winged Drosophila species endemic to the high Hawaiian islands, all but three are endemic to single islands or island complexes. They are presumed to have evolved in situ on each island. The banding pattern sequences of the five major polytene chromosomes of these species have been mapped to a single set of Standard sequences. Sequential variation among these chromosomes is due to 213 paracentric inversions. An atlas of their break points is provided. Geographical, morphological and behavioral data may be used to supplement the cytological information in tracing ancestry. Starting at the newer end of the archipelago, the 26 species of the Island of Hawaii (less than 700,000 years old) are inferred to have been derived from 19 founders, 15 from the Maui complex, three from Oahu and one from Kauai. The existence of 40 Maui complex species is explicable as resulting from 12 founders, ten from Oahu and two from Kauai. The 29 Oahu species can be explained by 12 founder events, five from Kauai and seven from Maui complex (summary in Figure 5). Although the ancestry of two Kauai species can be traced to newer islands, the ten remaining ones on this island (age about 5.6 million years) are apparently ancient elements in the fauna, relating ultimately to Palearctic continental sources.


1986 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zech ◽  
T. Godal ◽  
L. Hammarström ◽  
H. Mellstedt ◽  
C.I.E. Smith ◽  
...  

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 144 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-204
Author(s):  
Christine Hoogland ◽  
Christian Biémont

Abstract Data of insertion site localization and site occupancy frequency of P, hobo, I, copia, mdg1, mdg3, 412, 297, and roo transposable elements (TEs) on the polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster were extracted from the literature. We show that TE insertion site number per chromosomal division was significantly correlated with the amount of DNA. The insertion site number weighted by DNA content was not correlated with recombination rate for all TEs except hobo, for which a positive correlation was detected. No global tendency emerged in the relationship between TE site occupancy frequency, weighted by DNA content, and recombination rate; a strong negative correlation was, however, found for the 3L arm. A possible dominant deleterious effect of chromosomal rearrangements due to recombination between TE insertions is thus not the main factor explaining the dynamics of TEs, since this hypothesis implies a negative relationship between recombination rate and both TE insertion site number and site occupancy frequency. The alternative hypothesis of selection against deleterious effects of insertional mutations is discussed.


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-244
Author(s):  
Martina Vaskova ◽  
A M Bentley ◽  
Samantha Marshall ◽  
Pamela Reid ◽  
Carl S Thummel ◽  
...  

Abstract The 63F early puff in the larval salivary gland polytene chromosomes contains the divergently transcribed E63-1 and E63-2 ecdysone-inducible genes. E63-1 encodes a member of the EF-hand family of Ca2+-binding proteins, while E63-2 has no apparent open reading frame. To understand the functions of the E63 genes, we have determined the temporal and spatial patterns of E63-1 protein expression, as well as undertaken a genetic analysis of the 63F puff. We show that E63-1 is expressed in many embryonic and larval tissues, but the third-instar larval salivary gland is the only tissue where increases in protein levels correlate with increases in ecdysone titer. Furthermore, the subcellular distribution of E63-1 protein changes dynamically in the salivary glands at the onset of metamorphosis. E63-1 and E63-2 null mutations, however, have no effect on development or fertility. We have characterized 40 kb of the 63F region, defined as the interval between Ubi-p and E63-2, and have identified three lethal complementation groups that correspond to the dSc-2, ida, and mge genes. We show that mge mutations lead to first-instar larval lethality and that Mge protein is similar to the Tom22 mitochondrial import proteins of fungi, suggesting that it has a role in mitochondrial function.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 159 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-218
Author(s):  
Igor V Sharakhov ◽  
Maria V Sharakhova ◽  
Charles M Mbogo ◽  
Lizette L Koekemoer ◽  
Guiyun Yan

Abstract Anopheles funestus Giles is one of the major malaria vectors in Africa, but little is known about its genetics. Lack of a cytogenetic map characterized by regions has hindered the progress of genetic research with this important species. This study developed a cytogenetic map of An. funestus using ovarian nurse cell polytene chromosomes. We demonstrate an important application with the cytogenetic map for characterizing various chromosomal inversions for specimens collected from coastal Kenya. The linear and spatial organization of An. funestus polytene chromosomes was compared with the best-studied malaria mosquito, An. gambiae Giles. Comparisons of chromosome morphology between the two species have revealed that the most extensive chromosomal rearrangement occurs in pericentromeric heterochromatin of autosomes. Differences in pericentromeric heterochromatin types correlate with nuclear organization differences between An. funestus and An. gambiae. Attachments of chromosomes to the nuclear envelope strongly depend on the presence of diffusive β-heterochromatin. Thus, An. funestus and An. gambiae exhibit species-specific characteristics in chromosome-linear and -spatial organizations.


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