Abstract
The white gene within the transposon A R 4-24P[white,rosy] inserted at cytological location 24D1-2 in the euchromatic portion of the Drosophila melanogaster genome exhibits a mosaic pattern of expression which is modified by temperature and Y-chromosome number, as in cases of classical position-effect variegation (PEV). The eye colour of the flies in this variegated stock remains mosaic in the presence of the PEV modifier Su(var)3-6, slightly less so with Su(var)3-9 and Su(var)2-5, and full suppression of variegation occurs in the presence of Su(var)3-7. We have induced further transposition of A R 4-24 and isolated two mosaic stocks with this transgene at new cytological locations. In these stocks, the A R 4-24 transposon was flanked by the same genomic DNA fragments as in the original location. Spontaneous loss of these fragments leads to reversion of the variegated eye colour to wild-type. We suggest that the flanking DNA fragments from 24D1-2 are capable of inducing position-effect variegation without any association with centromeric heterochromatin. In situ hybridisation and Southern analysis demonstrate that the 5’ flanking genomic fragment contains repeated sequences which are abundantly present in heterochromatin.
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Balasov, M., Belyaeva, E., Shestopal, S. et al. The transposon A R 4-24P[white, rosy] in Drosophila melanogaster is subject to position-effect variegation at a non-centromeric insertion site. Mol Gen Genet 264, 105–111 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380000288
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380000288