Abstract
Randomly cloned DNA fragments and a poly-(GATA) containing sequence were used as probes to identify sex chromosomal inheritance and to detect differences at the molecular level between the homomorphic X and Y in the phorid fly,Megaselia scalaris. Restriction fragment length differences between males and females and between two laboratory stocks of different geographic origin were used to differentiate between sex chromosomal and autosomal origin of the respective fragments. Five random probes detected X and Y chromosomal DNA loci and two others recognized autosomal DNA loci. One random probe and the poly(GATA) probe hybridized with both sex chromosomal and autosomal restriction fragments. Most of the Y chromosomal restriction fragments were conserved in length between the two stocks while most of the X chromosomal and autosomal fragments showed length polymorphism. It was concluded, therefore, that the Y chromosome contains a conserved segment in which crossover is suppressed and restriction site differences have accumulated relative to the X. These chromosomes, therefore, conform to a theoretically expected early stage of sex chromosome evolution.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benner DB, Ostermeyer EC (1980) Some observations on the life history of the flyMegaselia scalaris Loew (Phoridae) with special reference to the eclosion pattern. J Tenn Acad Sci 55:103–105
Blin N, Stafford DW (1976) A general method for isolation of high molecular weight DNA from eukaryotes. Nucleic Acids Res 3:2303–2308
Bull JJ (1983) Evolution of sex determining mechanisms. The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Menlo Park, Calif
Chang ACY, Cohen SN (1978) Construction and characterization of amplifiable multicopy DNA cloning vehicles derived from the P15A cryptic miniplasmid. J Bacteriol 134:1141–1156
Green MM (1980) Transposable elements inDrosophila and other Diptera. Annu Rev Genet 14:109–120
Johnson DS, Mertl HG, Traut W (1988) Inheritance of cytogenetic and new genetic markers inMegaselia scalaris, a fly with an unusual sex determining mechanism. Genetica 77:159–170
Jones KW, Singh L (1985) Snakes and the evolution of sex chromosomes. Trends Genet 1:55–61
Mainx F (1964) The genetics ofMegaselia scalaris Loew (Phoridae): A new type of sex determination in Diptera. Am Nat 98:415–430
Mainx F (1966) Die Geschlechtsbestimmung beiMegaselia scalaris Loew (Phoridae). Z Vererbungsl 98:49–60
Maniatis T, Fritsch EF, Sambrook J (1982) Molecular cloning: A laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY
Muller HJ (1964) The relation of recombination to mutational advance. Mutat Res 1:2–9
Ondrascheck H (1953) Vererbungsstudien anAphiochaeta xanthina Speis. (Phoridae). Z Indukt Abst Vererbungsl 85:347–353
Reed KC, Mann DA (1985) Rapid transfer of DNA from agarose gels to nylon membranes. Nucleic Acids Res 13:7207–7221
Schmid M (1983) Evolution of sex chromosomes and heterogametic systems in amphibia. Differentiation 23:13–22
Singh L, Purdom IF, Jones KW (1981) Conserved sex-chromosome-associated nucleotide sequences in eukaryotes. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 45:805–814
Springer R (1967) Konkurrenzversuche mit den drei Geschlechtsbestimmungstypen vonMegaselia scalaris Loew (Phoridae). Mol Gen Genet 99:125–132
Tokunaga C (1955) The presence of male determining factor inAphiochaeta xanthina Speiser. Kobe College Studies 2, 2:1–32
Tokunaga C (1958) The Y chromosome in sex determination ofAphiochaeta xanthina Speiser. Proc X Int Cong Genet 2:295–296
Traut W, Willhoeft U (1990) A jumping sex determining factor in the fly, Megaselia scalaris. Chromosoma (in press)
Vieira J, Messing J (1982) The pUC plasmids, an M13mp7-derived system for insertion mutagenesis and sequencing with synthetic universal primers. Gene 19:259–268
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Willhoeft, U., Traut, W. Molecular differentiation of the homomorphic sex chromosomes inMegaselia scalaris (Diptera) detected by random DNA probes. Chromosoma 99, 237–242 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01731698
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01731698