Mesosternal bristle number in a cosmopolitan drosophilid: an X-linked variable trait independent of sternopleural bristles.

Mesosternal (MS) bristles in Drosophila are a pair of machrochaetae found at the sternal end of the sternopleural (STP) microchaetae, and are thought to be invariable. In a closely related drosophilid genus, Zaprionus, their number is four and, in contrast to Drosophila, they show interspecific and intraspecific variability. The genetic basis of MS bristle number variability was studied in Z. indianus, the only cosmopolitan species of the genus. The trait responded rapidly to selection and two lines were obtained, one lacking any bristles (0-0) and the other bearing the normal phenotype (2-2). Other symmetrical phenotypes, (1-1) and (3-3), could also be selected for, but with lesser success. By contrast, STP bristle number did not vary significantly between the two lines (0-0) and (2-2), revealing its genetic independence from MS bristle number. Reciprocal crosses between these two lines showed that MS bristle number is mainly influenced by a major gene on the X chromosome (i.e. F(1) males always resembled their mothers) with codominant expression (i.e. heterozygous F(1) females harboured an average phenotype of 2 bristles). However, trait penetrance was incomplete and backcrosses revealed that this variability was partly due to genetic modifiers, most likely autosomal. The canalization of MS bristle number was investigated under different temperatures, and the increased appearance of abnormal phenotypes mainly occurred at extreme temperatures. There was a bias, however, towards bristle loss, as shown by a liability (developmental map) analysis. Finally, when ancestral and introduced populations were compared, the latter were far less stable, suggesting that genetic bottlenecks may perturb the MS bristle number canalization system. MS bristle number, thus, appears to be an excellent model for investigating developmental canalization at both the quantitative and the molecular level.

Chromosomal inversion polymorphism in Drosophila mediopunctata: seasonal, altitudinal, and latitudinal variation

The most polymorphic chromosome for inversions in Drosophila mediopunctata is the chromosome II, where 17 inversions have been found, eight of which occurring in the distal region and nine in the proximal region. We present an analysis of the chromosome II inversion polymorphism with respect to seasonal, altitudinal and latitudinal variation. In D. mediopunctata from the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia (southeastern Brazil), the frequencies of three of the distal inversions (namely DA, DS, and DP) vary seasonally. These inversions also show altitudinal clines in their frequencies. This microgeographic pattern was not observed on a macrogeographic scale. D. mediopunctata from Porto Alegre are less polymorphic for inversions than other populations, the most remarkable reduction occurring in the proximal region of chromosome II. There is a considerable difference between D. mediopunctata from Campinas and specimens from Serra do Japi, which are separated by only 50 km. In contrast, D. mediopunctata from Serra do Japi are much more similar to specimens from the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, which is 200 km far.