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The effect of chromatin structure on P element-induced male recombination in Drosophila melanogaster

University of British Columbia

Dysgenic male recombination (MR) induced by the P strains T-007 and OKI rarely, if ever, occurs in the heterochromatin of chromosome two. One possible explanation is that the lack of heterochromatic exchange is due to the highly condensed chromatin in this region. Butyrate (a suspected modifier of chromatin structure) induced significant levels of heterochromatic MR in dysgenic hybrids derived from crosses involving two different P strains. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that chromatin structure can influence the insertion and excision of P elements and hence MR. Analogous experiments were performed using third chromosome suppressor of variegation (Su(var)) mutations. Neither suppressor mutation induced any heterochromatic MR, suggesting that the mode of action of these Su(var) genes is different from, and more specific than, that of butyrate. One of the mutations (325) which is thought to influence meiotic recombination frequencies, causes some alterations in euchromatic MR in crosses involving the OKI strain. The other mutation, 318, affects neither meiotic nor dysgenic recombination. Su(var) 325 is the first known "factor" to influence meiotic and dysgenic recombination similarly.

Text

2010-05-13

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24664

Zoology

University of British Columbia

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