Parameters of mitotic recombination in minute mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

A sample of 16 Minutes, representing 12 loci distributed over all the chromosome arms and including 3 pairs of alleles and 4 deficiencies, has been studied with respect to several developmental and recombinational parameters. Cell marker mutants located in most of the chromosome arms were used to assess (1) spontaneous and X-ray-induced mitotic recombination frequencies of each Minute, and (2) clone sizes of the different cell marker clones. These parameters were analyzed both in the wing disc and in the abdominal histoblasts.--Whereas spontaneous frequencies are not affected by the presence of the Minutes studied, the different Minutes characteristically increase the frequency of recombination clones arising after X-irradiation. The recombinant clones which are M+/M+ are significantly larger than clones in the same fly which retain the M+/M+ condition. This is particularly striking in clones in the wing disc, slightly so in clones in the tergites. The occurrence of mitotic recombination in the fourth chromosomes is reported for the first time.--Chaeta length and developmental delay correlates with the recombinational parameters in different ways. Possible causal interrelationships of the different traits of the Minute syndrome are discussed.