Gametic frequency of second chromosomes of the T-007 type in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster in Texas

Abstract

The T-007 second chromosome, which was isolated from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster in south Texas in 1970, is known to show, when made heterozygous in males with a standard cn bw second chromosome, a transmission frequency (k) of 0.35-much lower than the theoretically expected 0.5. Natural populations of this species in Texas contain second chromosomes that, against the standard cn bw genetic background, are associated with distorted transmission frequencies comparable to that of the T-007 chromosome. In order to explain how such chromosomes can persist in natural populations in nontrivial frequencies, it has been postulated that, although such chromosomes show reduced k values when tested under the genetic background of a laboratory stock such as cn bw, they may show, on the average, k values larger than 0.5 under natural genetic backgrounds. If this were true, the frequency of chromosomes of the T-007 type (T chromosomes) should be higher in male than in female gametes under natural genetic backgrounds. The present study was conducted to examine this possibility. The results clearly showed that the frequency of such chromosomes was much higher among male than among female gametes, and that the transmission frequency of this type of chromosome was higher than 0.5 under natural genetic backgrounds. These results suggest that T chromosomes behave like Segregation Distorter (SD) chromosomes in natural populations of this species in Texas. A possible relationship between T-007 and SD chromosomes is suggested.