scholarly journals Genetic analysis of the sexual dimorphism of glass in Drosophila melanogaster

1984 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Birchler
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Modifier Locus ◽  
The Third ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Gene Maps ◽  
Insertional Translocation

SUMMARYA modifier locus is described that alters the level of phenotypic expression of the third chromosome mutant glass in a sex specific manner. Alternative alleles either confer a sexually dimorphic level of pigment in glass mutants, with the male being greater, or cause similar expression in the two sexes. The alleles are indistinguishable in females but produce the respective phenotypes in males. The gene maps to the tip of the X chromosome at position 0·96 ± 0·11. Cytologically, the locus is present between polytene bands 3A6–8 and 3C2–3 as determined by its inclusion in translocated X segments in w + Y, Dp(l;2)w70h31 and Dp(l;3)w67k27 The dimorphic allele is dominant to the nondimorphic condition in males heterozygous for an insertional translocation carrying the dimorphic allele and a normal chromosome carrying the nondimorphic form. The dimorphic allele in two doses in males does not exhibit a dosage effect. The modifier phenotype is unaffected in two X flies by the presence of the transformer mutation.

scholarly journals Genetics of Differences in Pheromonal Hydrocarbons Between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 353-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry A Coyne
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Species Difference ◽  
The Other ◽  
Chromosome 3 ◽  
Apparent Effect ◽  
The Third ◽  
Hydrocarbon Profile ◽  
The Right

Abstract Females of Drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species D. simulans have very different cuticular hydrocarbons, with the former bearing predominantly 7,11-heptacosadiene and the latter 7-tricosene. This difference contributes to reproductive isolation between the species. Genetic analysis shows that this difference maps to only the third chromosome, with the other three chromosomes having no apparent effect. The D. simulans alleles on the left arm of chromosome 3 are largely recessive, allowing us to search for the relevant regions using D. melanogaster deficiencies. At least four nonoverlapping regions of this arm have large effects on the hydrocarbon profile, implying that several genes on this arm are responsible for the species difference. Because the right arm of chromosome 3 also affects the hydrocarbon profile, a minimum of five genes appear to be involved. The large effect of the third chromosome on hydrocarbons has also been reported in the hybridization between D. simulans and its closer relative D. sechellia, implying either an evolutionaly convergence or the retention in D. sechllia of an ancestral sexual dimorphism.

Quantitative Genetics of Drosophila Melanogaster. II. Heritabilities and Genetic Correlations between Sexes for Head and Thorax Traits.

Genetics ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-433
Author(s):  
D E Cowley ◽  
W R Atchley
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Dosage Compensation ◽  
Imaginal Disc ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Quantitative Genetic ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract A quantitative genetic analysis is reported for traits on the head and thorax of adult fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. Females are larger than males, and the magnitude of sexual dimorphism is similar for traits derived from the same imaginal disc, but the level of sexual dimorphism varies widely across discs. The greatest difference between males and females occurs for the dimensions of the sclerotized mouthparts of the proboscis. Most of the traits studied are highly heritable with heritabilities ranging from 0.26 to 0.84 for males and 0.27 to 0.81 for females. In general, heritabilities are slightly higher for males, possibly reflecting the effect of dosage compensation on X-linked variance. The X chromosome contributes substantially to variance for many of these traits, and including results reported elsewhere, the variance for over two-thirds of the traits studied includes X-linked variance. The genetic correlations between sexes for the same trait are generally high and close to unity. Coupled with the small differences in the traits between sexes for heritabilities and phenotypic variances, these results suggest that selection would be very slow to change the level of sexual dimorphism in size of various body parts.

Evolution of sexually dimorphic characters in peccaries (Mammalia, Tayassuidae)

Paleobiology ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Cladistic Analysis ◽  
Phenotypic Correlation ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Canine Tooth ◽  
Arch Width ◽  
Homologous Characters ◽  
Canine Size

Cladistic analysis of osteological and dental characters in a monophyletic group of Miocene and younger tayassuids demonstrates a pattern of changes in the degree of sexual dimorphism in canine tooth diameter and zygomatic arch width, and in phenotypic correlations between these characters. Primitively, tayassuids have canine teeth that are sexually dimorphic and discretely bimodal in size, and zygomatic arches that are narrow in both sexes. Many late Miocene and Pliocene tayassuids have broad, winglike zygomatic processes. In some species, these processes are large in both sexes, but in others, those of females are much smaller than those of males. The presence of large processes in both sexes is primitive relative to the condition of strong sexual dimorphism. In five separate clades, the zygomatic processes of both sexes become reduced in size, and the degree of sexual dimorphism in canine size becomes reduced as well. The pattern is congruent with predictions derived from a theoretical model of the evolution of sexual dimorphism, and it further indicates the emergence of a new phenotypic correlation between two previously uncorrelated characters, canine size and zygoma size. The advent of this new correlation coincides with the advent of pronounced sexual dimorphism in zygomatic processes. Although such a pattern could be explained by genetically modifying phenotypic expression of homologous characters in one sex or the other, an epigenetic modification of expression is equally plausible: the evolution of sexual dimorphism in homologous characters could be accomplished by placing phenotypic expression of an originally monomorphic character under the control of steroid sex hormones. This hypothesis is consistent with evidence from many vertebrate groups, and it provides testable predictions.

scholarly journals Adult crowding induces sexual dimorphism in chronic stress-response in Drosophila melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shraddha Lall ◽  
Akhila Mudunuri ◽  
S. Santhosh ◽  
Akshay Malwade ◽  
Aarcha Thadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Mechanical Perturbation ◽  
Behavioural Changes ◽  
Induced Mood ◽  
Novel Habitat ◽  
Adult Crowding

ABSTRACTStress-induced mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are sexually dimorphic in human beings. Studying behavioural stress-responses in non-human animal models can help better understand the behavioural manifestations of these disorders and the dimorphism in their prevalence. Here we explore how sexes show differential behavioural responses to different chronic stressors, both abiotic and biotic, by using outbred populations of Drosophila melanogaster. The behaviours studied – namely, anhedonia, motivation to explore a novel habitat, locomotor activity and sleep levels – have been well-investigated in human and rodent-based models of stress disorders. These behaviours were studied in the context of two different stressors – mechanical perturbation and adult crowding. Responses to stress were found to be sexually dimorphic, and stressed females showed more behavioural changes, such as a reduced motivation to explore a novel habitat. Furthermore, adult crowding caused a greater number of sexually dimorphic behavioural changes than mechanical perturbation. For instance, while mechanical perturbation caused anhedonia across sexes, only females were anhedonic after crowding. We thus make a case for Drosophila melanogaster as a model system for studying sexual dimorphism in stress-induced mood disorders in humans.SUMMARY STATEMENTFemale fruit flies, like their human counterparts, are more prone to chronic stress-induced mood disorders like anhedonia or reduced activity. This sexual dimorphism was more evident in a biotic stress.

scholarly journals Cytogenetic definition and morphogenetic analysis of Delta, a gene affecting neurogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Genetics ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-245
Author(s):  
A K Alton ◽  
K Fechtel ◽  
A L Terry ◽  
S B Meikle ◽  
M A Muskavitch
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Small Interval ◽  
Genetic Analyses ◽  
The Third ◽  
Complementation Groups ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Morphogenetic Analysis

Abstract We have conducted a genetic analysis of a small interval of the third chromosome known to include Delta (Dl), a locus that affects the segregation of the ectoderm into neural and epidermal lineages during embryogenesis and the morphogenesis of some ectodermally derived structures, in Drosophila melanogaster. This analysis has led to the definition of seven independent complementation groups, one of which is Delta, within the interval extending from 91F6-13 to 92A2. Among the extant mutations in these seven loci, only mutations in Dl lead to the so-called neurogenic phenotype: hypertrophy of the nervous system and reduction of the epidermis. Combined cytogenetic and genetic analyses allow us to define absolute proximal (91F5-92A1) and distal (92A2) cytogenetic limits for the Dl locus. We have isolated hypomorphic and amorphic alleles of Dl and find that, for any given allele, there is an inverse correlation between neural hypertrophy and epidermal reduction in embryos and a direct correlation between the severity of embryonic phenotypes in mutant homozygotes and hemizygotes and the imaginal phenotype in heterozygous adults.

scholarly journals A genetic analysis of intersex, a gene regulating sexual differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster females.

Genetics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 139 (4) ◽  
pp. 1649-1661 ◽  
Author(s):  
B A Chase ◽  
B S Baker
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Sexual Differentiation ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Regulatory Genes ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Specific Product ◽  
Sex Type ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Female Specific

Abstract Sex-type in Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by a hierarchically acting set of regulatory genes. At the terminus of this hierarchy lie those regulatory genes responsible for implementing sexual differentiation: genes that control the activity of target loci whose products give rise to sexually dimorphic phenotypes. The genetic analysis of the intersex (ix) gene presented here demonstrates that ix is such a terminally positioned regulatory locus. The ix locus has been localized to the cytogenetic interval between 47E3-6 and 47F11-18. A comparison of the morphological and behavioral phenotypes of homozygotes and hemizygotes for three point mutations at ix indicates that the null phenotype of ix is to transform diplo-X animals into intersexes while leaving haplo-X animals unaffected. Analysis of X-ray induced, mitotic recombination clones lacking ix+ function in the abdomen of diplo-X individuals indicates that the ix+ product functions in a cell-autonomous manner and that it is required at least until the termination of cell division in this tissue. Taken together with previous analyses, our results indicate that the ix+ product is required to function with the female-specific product of doublesex to implement appropriate female sexual differentiation in diplo-X animals.

scholarly journals Genetic analysis of the heterochromatin of chromosome 3 in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Products of compound-autosome detachment.

Genetics ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-517
Author(s):  
G E Marchant ◽  
D G Holm
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Genetic Characterization ◽  
Complementation Analysis ◽  
Chromosome 3 ◽  
Recessive Lethal ◽  
The Third ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
The Right

Abstract The heterochromatin of the third chromosome is the largest uncharacterized region of the Drosophila melanogaster genome, and the last major block of D. melanogaster heterochromatin to be thoroughly analyzed. In the present study, this region was genetically dissected by generating and analyzing a series of attached, detached and reattached third chromosomes. Separate detachment experiments were conducted for all 12 possible combinations of four newly synthesized sister-strand compound-3L and three newly synthesized sister-strand compound-3R chromosomes. A total of 443 recessive lethal detachment products carrying putative heterochromatic deficiencies were tested for complementation in a several-stage complementation analysis. The results revealed the presence of seven separable vital regions in the heterochromatin of chromosome 3. Attempts to reattach deficiency-carrying detachment products established that six of these vital regions are on the left arm, but only one is on the right arm. An analysis of the types and frequencies of detachment-product deficiencies generated in each detachment experiment permitted the genetic characterization of the progenitor compounds. It was also possible to determine the proximal-distal orientation of the genes on each arm, and to identify possible breakpoints for each lethal detachment product produced. The results of this study suggest that vital genes in the heterochromatin of the third chromosome are not randomly distributed between, nor within, the heterochromatic blocks of the left and right arms.

scholarly journals Morphology and ecology of a new sexually dimorphic species of Polydora (Polychaeta: Spionidae) associated with hermit crabs from Jamaica, West Indies

Zoosymposia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
LARA D. ORENSKY ◽  
JASON D. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Large Female ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
The Third ◽  
Commensal Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Dimorphic Species

A new commensal species of Polydora was found associated with hermit crabs from shallow subtidal coral reefs in Jamaica, West Indies, in 2005 and 2006. Polydora nanomon sp. nov. is the third known obligate commensal polydorid of hermit crabs. The species is found in approximately 20% of the gastropod shells, most commonly Leucozonia nassa leucozonalis (Lamarck, 1822), inhabited by Calcinus tibicen (Herbst, 1791) and other hermit crab hosts. P. nanomon sp. nov. produces a hole in the apex of the shell, enters the lumen of the uppermost whorl, and connects to the columella with a tube of mucus and detritus. One large female (up to 70 setigers) is found in the apex with up to four smaller males (generally <30 setigers). Females are distinguished from other species of Polydora by the morphology of the major spines of setiger 5. In addition to a horizontal row of major spines with two lateral teeth, companion setae, and ventral capillaries, setiger 5 contains a group of superior accessory spines, including one large falcate spine with a channel extending down the shaft, one spine with a low rounded tooth, and one companion seta. P. nanomon sp. nov. exhibits sexual dimorphism with the males being much smaller than females, having a reduced first segment, and lacking accessory spines on setiger 4 (= setiger 5 on females). The occurrence of sexual dimorphism within the family Spionidae is reviewed.

scholarly journals Genetic Analysis of Delta, a Neurogenic Gene of Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-445
Author(s):  
Harald Vässin ◽  
Jose A Campos-Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Wild Type Allele ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Type Allele ◽  
Embryonic Lethal ◽  
Complementation Groups ◽  
Interallelic Complementation ◽  
Hypomorphic Alleles

ABSTRACT We report here the results of a genetic analysis of the gene Delta (Dl) of Drosophila melanogaster. Dl has been mapped to the band 92A2, on the basis of two pieces of evidence: (1) this band is the common breakpoint of several chromosomal aberrations associated with Dl mutations and (2) recombination mapping of alleles of five different lethal complementation groups that are uncovered by Df(3R)DlFX3 (breakpoints at 91F11; 92A3). Dl was found to map most distally of all five complementation groups. The analysis of a large number of Dl alleles demonstrates the considerable genetic and functional complexity of Dl. Three types of Dl alleles are distinguishable. Most alleles behave as amorphic or hypomorphic recessive embryonic lethal alleles, which in addition cause various defects in heterozygosity over the wild-type allele. The defects are due to haplo-insufficient expression of the locus and can be suppressed by a duplication of the wild-type allele. The second class is comprised of three alleles with antimorphic expression. The phenotype of these alleles can only be reduced, rather than suppressed, by a duplication of the wild-type allele. The third group is comprised of three visible, predominantly hypomorphic alleles with an antimorphic component of phenotypic expression. The pattern of interallelic complementation is complex. On the one hand, there is a group of hypomorphic, fully penetrant embryonic lethal alleles which complement each other. On the other hand, most alleles, including all amorphic alleles, are viable over the visible ones; alleles of antimorphic expression, however, are lethal over visible alleles. These results are compatible with a rather complex genetic organization of the Dl locus.

scholarly journals GENETIC ANALYSIS OF CHROMOMERE 3D4 IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: THE DUNCE AND SPERM-AMOTILE GENES

Genetics ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-596
Author(s):  
Helen K Salz ◽  
Ronald L Davis ◽  
John A Kiger
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Male Fertility ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Female Fertility ◽  
Phosphodiesterase Activity ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Chromosomal Break ◽  
Gene Maps

ABSTRACT Both male and female Drosophila that are homozygous deficient for chromomere 3D4 are viable but sterile and lack detectable cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity. Two genes have been localized to this region: spermamotile (sam) and dunce (dnc). The sperm-amotile gene is required for male fertility, and the dunce gene is required for normal learning, female fertility, and cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity. The sperm-amotile gene maps 0.24 map units to the left of dunce. The expression of the dunce gene seems to be affected by a chromosomal break to the left of sperm-amotile. The fertility of dunce females varies according to changes in the genetic background and the presence or absence of an X-linked suppressor.

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