title: Genetic variation for oviposition behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Quantitative genetic analysis of insertion behavior.
abstract: The genetic basis of egg insertion behavior was analyzed in two Drosophila melanogaster strains (N and E strain), which were homozygous for the Slow allele of the alcohol dehydrogenase locus. The E strain had been selected for increased tolerance to ethanol. This study originated from the observation that nearly all of the eggs laid by females of the E strain were inserted, while in the control strain (N strain) which was kept on regular food, considerable variation for egg insertion occurred. Crosses between the E and the N strains were made, and quantitative genetic tests were performed. It was shown that the inheritance of egg insertion is polygenic, some of the genes are probably sex linked, and in-laying is partly dominant over on-laying. The heritability of the trait, derived from mother-daughter regression analysis, was .59 +/- .18. The repeatability was high. Bidirectional selection in the E strain was unsuccessful, but an asymmetrical response to selection was obtained in the N strain and in lines derived from crosses between the N and the E strains. Selection for in-laying was more successful than for on-laying. The realized heritability in the former lines was .35 +/- .10.
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kamping
authors: W
authors: W
authors: van Delden
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D010058:Oviposition / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase