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Genomic P elements and P-M characteristics of eastern Australian populations of Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract

As part of our effort to monitor changes in the clinal pattern of P element-associated traits in eastern Australian Drosophila melanogaster, we investigated the genomic P elements of 293 isofemale lines collected in the period 1991–1994 from 45 localities. P elements were present in many copies in all genomes examined, with full-size P and KP element size classes accounting for the large majority. SR elements were not present in at least 92% of the lines tested. South of about 26° south Latitude (°SLat), the ratio of KP to full-size P elements (KP/P ratio) increased, correlating weakly with the P-M phenotypes of the populations, from moderately P populations (26–29°SLat) to M populations (37–38°SLat) North of 26°SLat, in weak P populations, the KP/P ratio was higher than between 26 and 29°Slat. The KP/P ratio appears to be higher in the northern populations than it was when previous studies were done. Overall, a high KP/P ratio among lines correlated roughly with a lack of P activity, but it also correlated with reduced repressor function. In a sample of 30 lines, a maternal effect of repressor function did not show a pattern with latitude, nor with KP/P ratio, nor with presence or absence of P activity.

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Author notes

  1. Masanobu Itoh

    Present address: Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan

  2. Melissa A. Leone

    Present address: Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60626, USA

    Masanobu Itoh, Melissa A. Leone & Ian A. Boussy

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

    R.C. Woodruff

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  1. Masanobu Itoh
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  3. Melissa A. Leone
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  4. Ian A. Boussy
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Itoh, M., Woodruff, R., Leone, M.A. et al. Genomic P elements and P-M characteristics of eastern Australian populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetica 106, 231–245 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003918417012

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