SEX-LINKED TRANSLOCATIONS, SEMISTERILITY AND LINKAGE ALTERATIONS IN THE MOSQUITO AEDES AEGYPTI

Abstract

Seven sex-linked translocations were artificially induced and isolated in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. All translocations have passed through four generations. Each translocation heterozygote shows characteristic sterility with small variation. Egg hatches of the seven translocation heterozygotes ranged from 18% – 71%. Two translocations are TM type, i.e. linked to the M chromosome, and the remaining five are Tm type, i.e. linked to the m chromosome. Possibilities of using both types of translocation for genetic manipulation of field population are discussed. The three linkage groups (I,II,III) have been correlated to the three pairs of chromosomes (1, 2, and 3). For the first time in mosquitoes, translocations have been utilized to correlate a specific gene to a particular segment of a chromosome. The blt locus has been assigned to the small terminal segment distal to the secondary constriction on chromosome 3.