Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on June 11, 2007.

Genetics, Vol. 176, 1957-1966, August 2007, Copyright © 2007
doi:10.1534/genetics.106.066670

Cytotype Regulation by Telomeric P Elements in Drosophila melanogaster: Interactions With P Elements From M' Strains

Michael J. Simmons¹, Jarad B. Niemi, Don-Felix Ryzek, Cecile Lamour, Joseph W. Goodman, Wojciech Kraszkiewicz and Ryan Wolff

Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108-1095

¹ Corresponding author: Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, 250 BioScience Center, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108-1095.
E-mail: simmo004{at}umn.edu

P strains of Drosophila are distinguished from M strains by having P elements in their genomes and also by having the P cytotype, a maternally inherited condition that strongly represses P-element-induced hybrid dysgenesis. The P cytotype is associated with P elements inserted near the left telomere of the X chromosome. Repression by the telomeric P elements TP5 and TP6 is significantly enhanced when these elements are crossed into M' strains, which, like P strains, carry P elements, but have little or no ability to repress dysgenesis. The telomeric and M' P elements must coexist in females for this enhanced repression ability to develop. However, once established, it is transmitted maternally to the immediate offspring independently of the telomeric P elements themselves. Females that carry a telomeric P element but that do not carry M' P elements may also transmit an ability to repress dysgenesis to their offspring independently of the telomeric P element. Cytotype regulation therefore involves a maternally transmissible product of telomeric P elements that can interact synergistically with products from paternally inherited M' P elements. This synergism between TP and M' P elements also appears to persist for at least one generation after the TP has been removed from the genotype.

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Genetics 2007 176: NP. [Full Text]  

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