Analysis of an SD second chromosome from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

The second chromosome Co-122 (Corato-122) extracted from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster caught in Corato (Apulia) and maintained in the laboratory over the SM5 balancer chromosome, proved to carry: (1) a Segregation distorter factor, named SdCo; (2) a recessive lethal mutation, termed mle-Co (maleless-Corato), which causes the lethality of only males; (3) another recessive lethal mutation, l(2)Co (lethal (2) Corato), probably arisen in the laboratory by mutation. This mutation accounts for the diminished recovery of homozygous females observed in the stock. The genetic features and the cytological analysis of the SD chromosome are reported, as well as the genetic localization of mle-Co and 1(2)Co and their cytogenetic mapping. An allelism test has ascertained that mle-Co is allelic to mle, a male-specific mutation described by Fukunaga et al., 1975. The tight linkage of mle-Co and l(2)Co with Sd is discussed from the standpoint of population genetics.