Phenotypes Associated with Second Chromosome P Element Insertions in Drosophila melanogaster.
In Drosophila melanogaster, P element transposition has been a productive means of insertional mutagenesis. Thousands of genes have been tagged with natural and engineered P element constructs. Nevertheless, chromosomes carrying P element insertions tend to have high levels of background mutations from P elements inserting and excising during transposition. Consequently, the phenotypes seen when P element-bearing chromosomes are homozygous are often not attributable to the P insertions themselves. In this study, 178 strains in the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center collection with P insertions on the second chromosome were complementation tested against molecularly defined chromosomal deletions and previously characterized single-gene mutations to determine if recessive lethality or sterility is associated with the P insertions rather than background mutations. This information should prove valuable to geneticists using these strains for experimental studies of gene function.
Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center, Department of Biology, Indiana University, Indiana 47405.
Lily
L
Kahsai
FlyBase, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, CB2 3DY Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Gillian H
GH
Millburn
Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center, Department of Biology, Indiana University, Indiana 47405 kercook@indiana.edu.
Kevin R
0000-0001-9260-364X
KR
Cook
D000818:Animals; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000235:genetics; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional / Q000379:methods; D010641:Phenotype; D000072020:Synthetic Lethal Mutations
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements
Drosophila melanogaster; P element; complementation; insertional mutagenesis; phenotypic characterization