Larval length as evidence for maternal effects correlated with thepn/K-pn interaction inDrosophila melanogaster

Summary

In order to confirm the time and the pleiotropic effects of thepn/K-pn interaction the lengths of second instar larvae were measured. Length-frequency distributions of samples of larvae derived from the crosspn/pn; + +/ + + × +/-; ca K-pn/ ca K-pn are bimodal; the one partial collective covers small lethal male larvae, the other partial collective represents the large viable female larvae (Fig. 1a). The expectation that the progeny of the backcrossespn/ +; ca K-pn/ + + × pn/-; + +/ + + andpn/ +; ca K-pn/ + + × +/-; ca K-pn/ ca K-pn also exhibits a bimodal distribution of larval lengths is not fulfilled: during the whole second larval instar the larval lengths are normally distributed (Figs. I c, d). This results indicates that a maternal effect is involved in thepn/K-pn interaction.