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On the origins of tandemly repeated genes: Does histone gene copy number inDrosophila reflect chromosomal location?

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Abstract

Widely regarded beliefs aboutDrosophila histone gene copy numbers and developmental requirements have been generalized from fairly limited data since studies on histone gene arrangements and copy numbers have been largely confined to a single species,D. melanogaster. Histone gene copy numbers and chromosomal locations were examined in three species:D. melanogaster, D. hydei andD. hawaiiensis. Quantitative whole genome blot analysis of DNA from diploid tissues revealed a tenfold variability in histone gene copy numbers for these three species. In situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes showed that the histone DNA (hDNA) chromosomal location is different in all three species. These observations lead us to propose a relationship between histone gene reiteration and chromosomal position.

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Author notes

  1. David H. A. Fitch

    Present address: Department of Molecular Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 10461, Bronx, NY, USA

  2. Victoria Barrett

    Present address: Department of Botany, Auburn University, 36830, Auburn, AL, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Connecticut, 06269, Storrs, CT, USA

    David H. A. Fitch & Linda D. Strausbaugh

  2. Department of Biology, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Victoria Barrett

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  1. David H. A. Fitch
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  2. Linda D. Strausbaugh
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  3. Victoria Barrett
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Fitch, D.H.A., Strausbaugh, L.D. & Barrett, V. On the origins of tandemly repeated genes: Does histone gene copy number inDrosophila reflect chromosomal location?. Chromosoma 99, 118–124 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01735327

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01735327

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