XV.—“Ectopic” Pairing and the Distribution of Heterochromatin in the X-Chromosome of Salivary Gland Nuclei of Drosophila melanogaster

1946 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Slizynski

The problem to be presented here emerges from the following groups of facts and more or less generally accepted opinions.As heterochromatin we may define those parts of chromosomes which reach maximum nucleic acid charge in mitosis or meiosis in times other than metaphase. In salivary gland chromosomes (which are more conveniently called polytene chromosomes) of Drosophila melanogaster the proximal heterochromatic parts of all chromosomes come together and form a central undifferentiated mass, the chromocentre. Genetically heterochromatin forms the so-called inert regions of the chromosomes.

1970 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Lakhotia ◽  
A. S. Mukherjee

Thymidine-3H labeling patterns on the X (section 1 A to 12 E of Bridges' map) and 2 R (section 56 F to 60 F of Bridges' map) segments in the salivary gland chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster have been analyzed in male and female separately. The observed patterns fit, with a few exceptions, in a continuous to discontinuous labeling sequence. In nuclei with similar labeling patterns on the 2R segment in both sexes, the number of labeled sites on the X in male is always less than in female X's. The labeling frequency of the different sites on the male X is considerably lower than those on the female X's, while the sites on the 2R segment have very similar frequency in the two sexes. The rate of thymidine-3H incorporation (as judged by visual grain counting) is relatively higher in male X than in female X's. It is concluded that the model sequence of replication in polytene chromosomes follows a continuous to discontinuous labeling sequence, and that the single X in male completes its replication earlier than either the autosomes in male or the X's in female. This asynchronous and faster rate of replication by the polytene X-chromosome in male substantiates the hypothesis of hyperactivity of the single X in male as the chromosomal basis of dosage compensation in Drosophila.


1974 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Lim ◽  
L. A. Snyder

SUMMARYSalivary-gland chromosomes of 54 methyl methanesulphonate- and 50 triethylene melamine-induced X-chromosome recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster were analysed. Two of the lethals induced by the mono-functional agent and 11 of those induced by the polyfunctional agent were found to be associated with detectable aberrations. A complementation analysis was also done on 82 ethyl methanesulphonate- and 34 triethylene melamine-induced recessive lethals in the zeste-white region of the X chromosome. The EMS-induced lethals were found to represent lesions affecting only single cistrons. Each of the 14 cistrons in the region known to mutate to a lethal state was represented by mutant alleles, but in widely different frequencies. Seven of the TEM-induced lethals were associated with deletions, only one of which had both breakpoints within the mapped region. Twenty-six of the 27 mutations in which only single cistrons were affected were mapped to 7 of the 14 known loci. One TEM- and two EMS-induced mutations were alleles representing a previously undetected locus in the zeste-white region.


1986 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Bedo

Polytene chromosomes were found in several larval and pupal tissues of the Medfly, Ceratitis capitata, during a search for chromosomes suitable for detailed cytological analysis. Well-banded highly polytene chromosomes, which could be adequately separated and spread, were found in trichogen cells of the spatulate superior orbital bristles of male pupae. These chromosomes proved suitable for full polytene analysis. Thoracic trichogen cells of both male and female pupae also contain useful polytene chromosomes, although they are considerably thinner and thus more difficult to analyze. Contrasting with those in pupal trichogen cells, the chromosomes in the salivary glands, Malphighian tubules, midgut, hindgut, and fat body of larvae and pupae were difficult to prepare because of high levels of ectopic pairing and chromosome fragmentation. In hindgut preparations partial separation of up to three chromosomes was achieved, but in all other tissues no useful chromosome separation was possible. In trichogen polytene cells, five banded chromosomes and a prominent heterochromatic network associated with a nucleolus are found. The mitotic chromosomes respond to C- and Q-banding and silver staining with considerable variation. This is especially so in the X chromosome, which displays an extensive array of bands following both Q-banding and silver staining. Comparison of Q-banded metaphase and polytene chromosomes demonstrates that the five autosomes are represented by conventional polytene chromosomes, while the sex chromosomes are contained in the heterochromatic net, most of which fluoresces strongly. This suggests that the Q-bands of the mitotic X chromosome are replicated to a greater extent than the nonfluorescent material in polytene cells. This investigation shows C. capitata to have excellent cytological material for both polytene and mitotic analysis.Key words: Ceratitis capitata, Medfly, chromosomes (polytene), banding (chromosome).


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1877-1886
Author(s):  
B M Benton ◽  
S Berrios ◽  
P A Fisher

A 75-kilodalton polypeptide has been identified which copurifies with karyoskeletal protein-enriched fractions prepared from Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Results of indirect immunofluorescence experiments suggest that this protein, here designated p75, is primarily associated with puffed regions of larval salivary gland polytene chromosomes. In nonpolytenized Schneider 2 tissue culture cells, p75 appeared to be localized throughout the nuclear interior during interphase. In mitotic cells, p75 was redistributed diffusely. A possible role for karyoskeletal elements in transcriptional regulation is discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 393-398
Author(s):  
M. N. Sheyka ◽  
V. Yu. Strashnyuk

Aim. The aim of the work was to study the effect of microwave radiation of varying intensity on the polytene chromosomes puffing activity in larvae salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster. Methods. The wild type outbred strain Oregon-R was used as the material. Microwave radiation with a frequency of 36.64 GHz and a power density of 0.1 and 1 W / m2 was used. Exposure to microwaves was applied in early embryogenesis after 3-hour oviposition. Exposure time was 30 sec. The puff sizes were studied on the squashed preparations of larvae salivary glands stained with acetoorcein. Dimensions of four puffs were investigated^ 2B5-6 (X chromosome); 62E, 71CE and 72CD (chromosome 3L). The measurements were carried out using an ocular-micrometer. Results. There were no significant changes in the size of the puffs in any of the four loci studied, regardless of the applied power density. Conclusions. Microwave radiation in early embryogenesis at a frequency of 36.64 GHz, a power density of 0.1 and 1 W/m2, and an exposure of 30 sec does not have a significant effect on the puff sizes in the Drosophila polytene chromosomes. Keywords: Drosophila melanogaster Meig., giant chromosomes, puff sizes, non-ionizing radiation.


Genome ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1070-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Zambetaki ◽  
Kleanthis Kleanthous ◽  
Penelope Mavragani-Tsipidou

Photomaps of the Malpighian tubule and the salivary gland polytene chromosomes of Bactrocera oleae (Dacus oleae) are presented and compared with those of the fat body. Five polytene chromosomes (10 polytene arms) corresponding to the five autosomes of the mitotic nuclei, as well as a heterochromatic mass corresponding to the sex chromosomes, are observed in the nuclei of the three somatic tissues. The most prominent features of each polytene chromosome, the reverse tandem duplications, as well as the rather unusual ectopic pairing of the telomeric regions of different chromosome arms, are described. The constancy of the banding pattern based on the analysis of the three larval tissues is discussed.Key words: Bactrocera oleae (Dacus oleae), polytene chromosomes, salivary gland, Malpighian tubule, banding pattern.


1996 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Tudor ◽  
Andrew Mitchelson ◽  
Kevin O'hare

SummaryA 1·5 kilobasepair repeated DNA sequence is duplicated in direct orientation so as to flank the suppressor of forked gene in the euchromatin–heterochromatin transition region on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. These two copies are almost identical, but DNA blotting, analysis of cloned sequences and database searches show that elsewhere in the genome, homologous sequences are poorly conserved. They are often associated with other repeats, suggesting that they may belong to a scrambled and clustered middle repetitive DNA family. The sequences do not appear to be related to transposable elements and their location in different strains is conserved. In situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes shows that homologous sequences are concentrated in the pericentric regions of the autosomes and the X chromosome. The sequences are not significantly under-represented in DNA from polytene tissue and must lie in the replicated regions of polytene chromosomes. The almost perfect conservation of the two repeats around suppressor of forked in D. melanogaster suggests they arose by duplication or gene conversion. Suppression of recombination in this chromosomal region presumably allows this unusual organization to be stably maintained. In the X-ray induced allele, suppressor of forked-L26, the sequence between the repeats, including the gene, and one copy of the repeat have been deleted.


Genetics ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
M P Shannon ◽  
T C Kaufman ◽  
M W Shen ◽  
B H Judd

ABSTRACT Aspects of the developmental genetics of lethal and semi-lethal mutants representing 13 complementation groups (cistrons) in the 3A-3C region of the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster are given. Each of these cistrons is associated with a particular chromomere in the salivary gland chromosome. Mutants within each cistron have similar lethality patterns and morphological attributes, and the characteristics of a given cistron are distinct with respect to other cistrons. These results provide additional evidence that only one function is associated with each chromomere.—The results of the lethality pattern analysis are also compared with previous studies of lethal mutants of Drosophila.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Asha Chaudhry ◽  
Preety Bhinder ◽  
Ram Kumar ◽  
Ravneet Kaur

The mutagenicity of two pesticides, propoxur and methyl parathion was evaluated by using polytene chromosomes of Anopheles stephensi. The results were based on the frequency of various structural aberrations encountered in the polytene chromosomes of the larvae treated with LC20 of propoxur and methyl parathion separately. Propoxur induced a total of 67 aberrations as against 15 in the controls while methyl parathion induced 53 aberrations as against 13 in the controls. These aberrations were dominated by inversions, translocations, deletions, ectopic pairing, asynapses, breaks, fusions and induced puffing. The frequency of propoxur induced aberrations was highest in chromosome 3R followed by 2R, 3L, 2L and X-chromosome. Methyl parathion induced highest number of aberrations in 2R followed by 2L, 3R, 3L and X-chromosomes. This study suggests that larval polytene chromosomes are sensitive indicators of pesticide genotoxicity in which both propoxur and methyl parathion are significantly chromotoxic for the genome of a mosquito taken as an experimental insect.


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