Genomic P elements and P-M characteristics of eastern Australian populations of Drosophila melanogaster.
As part of our effort to monitor changes in the clinical pattern of P element-associated traits in eastern Australian Drosophila melanogaster, we investigated the genomic P elements of 293 isofemale lines collected in the period 1991-1994 from 45 localities. P elements were present in many copies in all genomes examined, with full-size P and KP element size classes accounting for the large majority. SR elements were not present in at least 92% of the lines tested. South of about 26 degrees south Latitude (degree SLat), the ratio of KP to full-size P elements (KP/P ratio) increased, correlating weakly with the P-M phenotypes of the populations, from moderately P populations (26-29 degrees SLat) to M populations (37-38 degrees SLat). North of 26 degrees SLat, in weak P populations, the KP/P ratio was higher than between 26 and 29 degrees Slat. The KP/P ratio appears to be higher in the northern populations than it was when previous studies were done. Overall, a high KP/P ratio among lines correlated roughly with a lack of P activity, but it also correlated with reduced repressor function. In a sample of 30 lines, a maternal effect of repressor function did not show a pattern with latitude, nor with KP/P ratio, nor with presence or absence of P activity.
Itoh
M
M
Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60626, USA.
Woodruff
R C
RC
Leone
M A
MA
Boussy
I A
IA
D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005828:Genetics, Population; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011336:Probability
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; C027908:endodeoxyribonuclease DdeI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific