The genetic analysis of a uniquely dose-sensitive chromosomal region of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

In their extensive analysis of the effects of segmental aneuploidy on development to the adult stage, LINDSLEY and SANDLER et al. (1972) identified salivary chromosome region 83D-E as apparently uniquely dose-sensitive. Neither the hypoploid nor hyperploid classes appeared to survive to the adult stage, although segmental hyperploidy of all other regions of the genome is compatible with normal or quasi-normal development. In the present investigation, this genetic behavior is shown to be a concomitant of region 83D-E itself, and independent of the particular Y-autosome translocations utilized to generate aneuploid classes. Newly induced chromosomal duplications including 83D-E are recovered by their ability to complement the corresponding deficiency; these aberrations indicate that the phenomenon depends on genetic dosage per se and is independent of linkage relationships. Further tests involving the generation of large numbers of aneuploid zygotes support the conclusion that these individuals very rarely and possibly never survive to the adult stage. Finally, crosses yielding hypertriploid females and intersexes indicate that these aneuploids often survive and, in the former case, are fertile. No viable hypotriploid female or intersex was recovered.