title: A new paramutation-like example at the Delta gene of Drosophila.
abstract: The hereditary transmission of a phenotype independent from DNA sequence implies epigenetic effects. Paramutation is a heritable epigenetic phenomenon observed in plants and animals. To investigate paramutation in Drosophila, we used the P{ry+t7.2 = PZ}Dl05151 P-element insertion in the Drosophila melanogaster genome that causes a dominant visible phenotype: the presence of characteristic extra-veins in the fly wings. This extra-vein phenotype presents variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance. The insert is a PZ element located 680 bp upstream from the ATG of the Delta (Dl) gene, encoding the Notch ligand involved in wing vein development, and acts as a null allele. In the G2 offspring from a cross between the heterozygous transgenic stock and wild-type flies, we observed the transmission of the extra-vein phenotype to wild-type flies without the transgene, independently of gender and across many generations. This is a "paramutation-like" example in the fly: the heritable transmission of a phenotypic change not linked to a classical genetic mutation. A "paramutagenic" allele in heterozygotes transmits the phenotype of the heterozygotes to the wild-type allele ("paramutant") in a stable manner through generations. Distinct from paramutation events so far described in Drosophila, here we deal with a dominant effect on a single gene involving variable hereditary signals.
authors.affiliation: UMR 1355-7254 INRA/Université Côte d'Azur/CNRS, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, 400 route des Chappes, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capovilla
authors.affiliation: UMR 1355-7254 INRA/Université Côte d'Azur/CNRS, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, 400 route des Chappes, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robichon
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm U1091-CNRS U7277, Nice, France.
authors.forename: Minoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rassoulzadegan
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006579:Heterozygote; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C497759:N protein, Drosophila; D051880:Receptors, Notch; C064045:delta protein