Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 11, 169-182, Copyright © 1994 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
MJ Ford, CK Yoon and CF Aquadro
We measured nucleotide variability within and between the three semispecies
of the Drosophila athabasca complex, at the period (per) gene by using a
polymerase chain reaction-based four-cutter restriction- enzyme analysis.
The levels of polymorphism varied considerably between the three
semispecies. Our results for per, combined with previous data for X-linked
allozymes, suggest that the X chromosome in the western- northern
semispecies is less variable than expected under an equilibrium-neutral
model. Both the pattern of divergence between the semispecies and a
cladistic clustering of per haplotypes support the previously hypothesized
grouping of eastern A and eastern B as the two most recently diverged
semispecies. A 21-bp in-frame segment in the region of per which shares
sequence similarity with the neuronal development gene single minded is
deleted in all eastern A and eastern B flies examined but is present in all
of the western-northern flies and all other published per sequences.
Despite these hints that there may be significant differences at the per
gene between the semispecies, especially the western-northern group versus
the two eastern groups, there is no compelling evidence that per is
involved in the mating song differences between the semispecies.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Molecular evolution of the period gene in Drosophila athabasca
Section of Genetics and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
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