General survey of hAT transposon superfamily with highlight on hobo element in Drosophila.

The hAT transposons, very abundant in all kingdoms, have a common evolutionary origin probably predating the plant-fungi-animal divergence. In this paper we present their general characteristics. Members of this superfamily belong to Class II transposable elements.

Mapping candidate genes for Drosophila melanogaster resistance to the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi.

Drosophila melanogaster resistance against the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi is under the control of a single gene (Rlb), with two alleles, the resistant one being dominant. Using strains bearing deletions, we previously demonstrated that the 55E2-E6; 55F3 region on chromosome 2R is involved in the resistance phenomenon. In this paper, we first restricted the Rlb containing region by mapping at the molecular level the breakpoints of the Df(2R)Pc66, Df(2R)P34 and Df(2R)Pc4 deficiencies, using both chromosomal in situ hybridization and Southern analyses.

Evolution of the chromosomal location of rDNA genes in two Drosophila species subgroups: ananassae and melanogaster.

The evolution of the chromosomal location of ribosomal RNA gene clusters and the organization of heterochromatin in the Drosophila melanogaster group were investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization and DAPI staining to mitotic chromosomes. The investigation of 18 species (11 of which were being examined for the first time) belonging to the melanogaster and ananassae subgroups suggests that the ancestral configuration consists of one nucleolus organizer (NOR) on each sex chromosome. This pattern, which is conserved throughout the melanogaster subgroup, except in D.

Mitotic and polytene chromosomes: comparisons between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans.

This review deals with the differences between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans in their mitotic and polytene chromosomes. The description of the mitotic karyotypes of D. melanogaster and D.