Expression ofcis-regulatory mutations of thewhitelocus in metafemales ofDrosophila melanogaster

Abstract

SummaryAt thewhite eyecolour locus, there are a number of alleles that have altered expression between males and females. To test these regulatory mutations of thewhite eyecolour locus for their phenotypic expression in metafemales (3X; 2A) compared to diploid females and males, eleven alleles or transduced copies ofwhitewere analysed. Two alleles that exhibit dosage compensation between males and females (apricot, blood) also exhibit dosage compensation in metafemales.White-ivoryandwhite-eosin, which fail to dosage compensate in males compared to females, but that are distinct physical lesions, also show a dosage effect in metafemales. Two alleles with greater expression in males than females (spotted, spotted-55) exhibit even lower expression in metafemales. Lastly, five transduced copies ofwhite carryingthree different lengths of the white promoter, but that all exhibit higher expression in males, show reduced expression in metafemales, exhibiting an inverse correlation between the level of expression and the dosage of the X chromosome. Because these alleles ofwhiterespond to dosage compensation in metafemales as a continuum of the male and female responses, it is concluded that the same basic mechanism of dosage compensation is involved and that the dosage of the X chromosome conditions the sexually dimorphic expression.