Contribution of recombinants produced by female flies heterozygous forEst-α alleles to genie variation ofDrosophila virilis

Abstract

SummaryWith 12 alleles at theEst-α locus ofDrosophila virilis, 44 genotypes of females heterozygous for a pair of them were constructed, and about 4 × 104of their F1progenies per genotype were electrophoretically examined. Eighty-three variants different from both of their parental alleles were obtained from a total of 2·0 × 106progenies. Statistical analysis suggested most of their variants to be recombinants. And no null or inactive allele, of which frequency is several percent in natural populations, appeared in 11·6 × 104progenies from females heterozygous for active alleles. These results suggest that the high variation of theEst-α locus in this species is generated by recombinants from female heterozygotes.