Genetic factors that affect rates of spontaneous mutation and chromosome aberrations in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>

SUMMARYSystematic crosses between various strains of Drosophila melanogaster lead in some cases to partly sterile F1 females (SF females). Two main classes of strain, inducer and reactive, have been denned on the basis of this sterility, which shows very specific physiological features. SF females arise only when reactive females are crossed with inducer males. In contrast, F1 females (RSF) produced by the reciprocal cross between inducer females and reactive males have normal fertility. All wild populations tested are of the inducer category, laboratory strains are either inducer or reactive. Sterility is the result of interaction between two genetic factors denoted I and R, respectively responsible for the inducer and reactive conditions and whose unusual genetic behaviour has been described in other papers. The present paper reports experiments showing that the I–R interaction is also responsible for high levels of X nondisjunction and of mutation in the SF female germ-line. The analogy with the P-M system of Kidwell, Kidwell & Sved (1977b), is discussed as are also the implications of the existence of the I-R system for spontaneous mutation research in D. melanogaster.

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Bestimmung der DNA-Schädigung in vitro

Nuklearmedizin ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1626526 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 49 (S 01) ◽

pp. S64-S68

Author(s):

E. Dikomey

Keyword(s):

Dna Damage ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Chromosome Aberrations ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Double Strand Breaks ◽

Strand Breaks ◽

Cell Inactivation ◽

Repair Mechanisms ◽

Break Repair

SummaryIonising irradiation acts primarily via induction of DNA damage, among which doublestrand breaks are the most important lesions. These lesions may lead to lethal chromosome aberrations, which are the main reason for cell inactivation. Double-strand breaks can be repaired by several different mechanisms. The regulation of these mechanisms appears be fairly different for normal and tumour cells. Among different cell lines capacity of doublestrand break repair varies by only few percents and is known to be determined mostly by genetic factors. Knowledge about doublestrand break repair mechanisms and their regulation is important for the optimal application of ionising irradiation in medicine.

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Whole-Genome Effects of Ethyl Methanesulfonate-Induced Mutation on Nine Quantitative Traits in Outbred Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/157.3.1257 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 157 (3) ◽

pp. 1257-1265 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hsiao-Pei Yang ◽

Ana Y Tanikawa ◽

Wayne A Van Voorhies ◽

Joana C Silva ◽

Alexey S Kondrashov

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Quantitative Traits ◽

Spontaneous Mutation ◽

Developmental Time ◽

Ethyl Methanesulfonate ◽

Induced Mutations ◽

Mean Values ◽

Eye Color ◽

Recessive Mutations ◽

The Mean

Abstract We induced mutations in Drosophila melanogaster males by treating them with 21.2 mm ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Nine quantitative traits (developmental time, viability, fecundity, longevity, metabolic rate, motility, body weight, and abdominal and sternopleural bristle numbers) were measured in outbred heterozygous F3 (viability) or F2 (all other traits) offspring from the treated males. The mean values of the first four traits, which are all directly related to the life history, were substantially affected by EMS mutagenesis: the developmental time increased while viability, fecundity, and longevity declined. In contrast, the mean values of the other five traits were not significantly affected. Rates of recessive X-linked lethals and of recessive mutations at several loci affecting eye color imply that our EMS treatment was equivalent to ∼100 generations of spontaneous mutation. If so, our data imply that one generation of spontaneous mutation increases the developmental time by 0.09% at 20° and by 0.04% at 25°, and reduces viability under harsh conditions, fecundity, and longevity by 1.35, 0.21, and 0.08%, respectively. Comparison of flies with none, one, and two grandfathers (or greatgrandfathers, in the case of viability) treated with EMS did not reveal any significant epistasis among the induced mutations.

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A NEW METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF CHROMOSOME ABERRATIONS AND THE PLOTTING OF CHROMOSOME MAPS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/19.3.175 ◽

1934 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 175-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Theophilus S Painter

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Chromosome Aberrations ◽

New Method ◽

Chromosome Maps

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Functional separation of genetic factors Telomere elongation (Tel) and Enhancer of terminal gene conversion (E(tc)) involved in telomere elongation in Drosophila melanogaster

Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics ◽

10.1134/s1607672908040091 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 421 (1) ◽

pp. 199-203

Author(s):

K. A. Proskuryakov ◽

L. S. Melnikova

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Gene Conversion ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Telomere Elongation

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Rediscovery and further characterization of the aeroplane (ae) wing posture mutation in Drosophila melanogaster

Genome ◽

10.1139/g98-143 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 403-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kelly H Soanes ◽

John B Bell

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Spontaneous Mutation ◽

Genetic Complementation ◽

Homeotic Gene ◽

Classical Genetic ◽

Direct Flight ◽

Transformation Experiment ◽

Flight Muscles

In 1931, Theodore Quelprud characterized a novel spontaneous mutation in Drosophila melanogaster, which was named aeroplane (ae) based on its abnormal wing posture. Although the characterization of the original ae locus was minimal, it is very likely that another allele of this extinct mutation has now been identified. aeroplane-like (ae-l) was isolated as a by-product of a transformation experiment. The apparent wing paralysis is not caused by any obvious abnormalities in the thorax, wing, indirect flight muscles or direct flight muscles. Classical genetic complementation analyses of ae-l with other genes in the region suggest that it represents an allele of a novel locus. Unexpectedly, a molecular examination revealed that the physical lesion identified in the ae-l mutant is exceptionally close to the homeotic gene teashirt (tsh) and, indeed, may represent an unusual allele of teashirt.Key words: aeroplane, teashirt, wing posture, Drosophila, flight.

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Sexual Selection Does Not Increase the Rate of Compensatory Adaptation to a Mutation Influencing a Secondary Sexual Trait in Drosophila melanogaster

G3 Genes|Genome|Genetics ◽

10.1534/g3.119.400934 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 1541-1551

Author(s):

Christopher H. Chandler ◽

Anna Mammel ◽

Ian Dworkin

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Sexual Selection ◽

Natural Selection ◽

Spontaneous Mutation ◽

Phenotypic Expression ◽

Theoretical Work ◽

Phenotypic Suppression ◽

Compensatory Adaptation ◽

Deleterious Alleles ◽

Sex Comb

Theoretical work predicts that sexual selection can enhance natural selection, increasing the rate of adaptation to new environments and helping purge harmful mutations. While some experiments support these predictions, remarkably little work has addressed the role of sexual selection on compensatory adaptation—populations’ ability to compensate for the costs of deleterious alleles that are already present. We tested whether sexual selection, as well as the degree of standing genetic variation, affect the rate of compensatory evolution via phenotypic suppression in experimental populations of Drosophila melanogaster. These populations were fixed for a spontaneous mutation causing mild abnormalities in the male sex comb, a structure important for mating success. We fine-mapped this mutation to an ∼85 kb region on the X chromosome containing three candidate genes, showed that the mutation is deleterious, and that its phenotypic expression and penetrance vary by genetic background. We then performed experimental evolution, including a treatment where opportunity for mate choice was limited by experimentally enforced monogamy. Although evolved populations did show some phenotypic suppression of the morphological abnormalities in the sex comb, the amount of suppression did not depend on the opportunity for sexual selection. Sexual selection, therefore, may not always enhance natural selection; instead, the interaction between these two forces may depend on additional factors.

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