Skip to main content
Genetics logoLink to Genetics
. 1979 Sep;93(1):131–142. doi: 10.1093/genetics/93.1.131

Non-Mendelian Female Sterility in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Influence of Aging and Thermic Treatments. III. Cumulative Effects Induced by These Factors

Alain Bucheton 1
PMCID: PMC1217821  PMID: 121289

Abstract

Crosses between various strains of Drosophila melanogaster may give rise to a female sterility of non-Mendelian determination. Reduced fertility is observed in females, known as SF females, bred from crosses between females of "reactive" strains and males of "inducer" strains. The reduced fertility of the SF females is the result of an interaction between an extrachromosomal property, the reactivity, and a chromosomal factor, I. The extrachromosomal property varies considerably in its ability to reduce fertility. The fertility reduction of the SF females corresponds to what is known as the reactivity level of their reactive mothers. Two nongenetic factors can modify the level of reactivity: aging and temperature. The action of aging is cumulative. When the flies of a reactive strain are submitted at each generation to the action of this factor, the level of reactivity of this strain is gradually modified. The modifications induced are reversible. Indeed, when such a modified strain is returned to standard breeding conditions, the reactivity returns progressively to its initial level. The effect of thermic treatments also seems to be cumulative and reversible.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (751.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bucheton A. Contribution à l'étude de la stérilité femelle non mendélienne chez Drosophila melanogaster. Transmission héréditaire des degrés d'efficacité du facteur réacteur. C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D. 1973 Jan 22;276(4):641–644. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bucheton A., Lavige J. M., Picard G., L'Heritier P. Non-mendelian female sterility in Drosophila melanogaster: quantitative variations in the efficiency of inducer and reactive strains. Heredity (Edinb) 1976 Jun;36(3):305–314. doi: 10.1038/hdy.1976.38. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Minamori S. Extrachromosomal Element Delta in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER I. Gene Dependence of Killing Action and of Multiplication. Genetics. 1969 Jul;62(3):583–596. doi: 10.1093/genetics/62.3.583. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Picard G., Bucheton A., Lavige J. M., Fleuriet A. Contribution à l'étude d'un phénomène de stérilité à déterminisme non mendélien chez Drosophila melanogaster. C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D. 1972 Aug 21;275(8):933–936. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Genetics are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES