Cytogenetic mapping of the Lethal hybrid rescue gene of Drosophila simulans.

Abstract

Hybrids not carrying Drosophila simulans X chromosome derived from the cross between D. melanogaster females and D. simulans males are lethal at the late third instar larval period or early pupal stage. This lethality can be rescued by the mutation Lethal hybrid rescue (Lhr) of D. simulans. The Lhr gene is considered to play an important role in reproductive isolation, but the genetic analyses have not been carried out extensively because of the lack of visible mutations and chromosome rearrangements in D. simulans. Using a cuticle mutation, jabara, of which locus is close to Lhr, and D. melanogaster deficiencies, we performed cytological mapping in hybrids and estimated the Lhr locus to 54E-F.