Genetics of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans submorsitans Newstead (Diptera: Glossinidae): further mapping of linkage groups I, II, and III

Abstract

Standard mapping procedures were used to map four loci in linkage group I (the X chromosome), two loci in linkage group II, and two loci in linkage group III of Glossina morsitans submorsitans. In the presence of the allele Srd (the distorter allele favoring production of female offspring), no recombination occurred between any of the following loci: Pgm (phosphoglucomutase), wht (white eye color), Est-X (a thoracic esterase), and Sr (sex-ratio distortion). However, in the absence of Srd (i.e., in females homozygous for Srn, the allele that permits males to sire both female and male offspring in approximately equal numbers), the loci Pgm and wht were separated by 23 ± 4.0% recombination (map distance). These results indicate that ourG. m. submorsitans strains carry two forms of the X chromosome, designated XA and XB. In support of this interpretation, two lines of G. m. submorsitans were established: in both lines, males with wild-type eyes sired families that were almost exclusively female, while males with white eyes sired families having males and females in approximately equal numbers. Two loci, Ao (aldehyde oxidase) and Est-1 (a thoracic esterase) were separated by 6.1 ± 2.3% recombination in linkage group II, and two loci, Mdh (malate dehydrogenase) and Pgi (phosphoglucose isomerase), showed 51.9 ± 4.9% recombination in linkage group III.