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. 1988 Apr;7(4):1081–1086. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02916.x

Progressive loss of DNA sequences from terminal chromosome deficiencies in Drosophila melanogaster.

H Biessmann 1, J M Mason 1
PMCID: PMC454439  PMID: 2841109

Abstract

Terminal deficiencies at the tip of the X chromosome can be induced at a high frequency (0.2-0.3%) by irradiating Drosophila females carrying a homozygous mutator (mu-2) with low doses of X-rays. These terminal deficiencies are unstable, since over a period of 3 1/2 years DNA sequences were lost from their distal ends at a rate of 75 bp per generation, presumably due to the absence of a complete wild-type telomeric structure. Breakpoints of these deletions in the 5' upstream regulatory region of the yellow gene, giving rise to a mosaic cuticle pigmentation pattern typical of the y2 type, were used to define the location of tissue-specific cis-acting regulatory elements that are required for body, wing or bristle pigmentation.

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Selected References

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