Molecular Biology and Evolution 17:1942-1955 (2000)
© 2000 Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
ARTICLE |
Nucleotide Variation at the yellow Gene Region is not Reduced in Drosophila subobscura: A Study in Relation to Chromosomal Polymorphism
Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
In contrast to Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans, the yellow (y) gene region of Drosophila subobscura is not located in a region with a strong reduction in recombination. In addition, this gene maps very close to the breakpoints of different inversions that segregate as polymorphic in natural populations of D. subobscura. Therefore, levels of variation at the y gene region in this species relative to those found in D. melanogaster and D. simulans may be affected not only by the change in the recombinational environment, but also by the presence of inversion polymorphism. To further investigate these aspects, an approximately 5.4-kb region of the A (=X) chromosome including the y gene was sequenced in 25 lines of D. subobscura and in the closely related species Drosophila madeirensis and Drosophila guanche. The D. subobscura lines studied differed in their A-chromosomal arrangements, Ast, A2, and A1. Unlike in D. melanogaster and D. simulans, levels of variation at the y gene region of D. subobscura are not reduced relative to those found at other genomic regions in the same species (rp49, Acp70A, and Acph-1). This result supports the effect of the change in the recombinational environment of a particular gene on the level of neutral variation. In addition, nucleotide variation is affected by chromosomal polymorphism. A strong genetic differentiation is detected between the A1 arrangement and either Ast or A2, but not between Ast and A2. This result is consistent with the location of the y gene relative to the breakpoints of inversions A1 and A2. In addition, the pattern of nucleotide polymorphism in Ast+A2 and A1 seems to point out that variation at the y gene region within these chromosomal classes is in the phase transient to equilibrium. The estimated ages of these arrangements assuming a star genealogy indicate that their origin cannot predate the D. madeirensis split. Therefore, the present results are consistent with a chromosomal phylogeny where Am1, which is an arrangement present in D. madeirensis but absent in current populations of D. subobscura, would be the ancestral arrangement.
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
C. Nobrega, M. Khadem, M. Aguade, and C. Segarra Genetic Exchange versus Genetic Differentiation in a Medium-Sized Inversion of Drosophila: The A2/Ast Arrangements of Drosophila subobscura Mol. Biol. Evol., August 1, 2008; 25(8): 1534 - 1543. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. R. Morris, D. A. Petrov, A. M. Lee, and C.-t. Wu Enhancer Choice in Cis and in Trans in Drosophila melanogaster: Role of the Promoter Genetics, August 1, 2004; 167(4): 1739 - 1747. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. A. Gomez and E. Hasson Transpecific Polymorphisms in an Inversion Linked Esterase Locus in Drosophila buzzatii Mol. Biol. Evol., March 1, 2003; 20(3): 410 - 423. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||

