P element activity and molecular structure in Drosophila melanogaster populations from Firtina Valley, Turkey.

Banu Sebnem Onder,Ozge Erisöz Kasap,Jake Tu

doi:10.1093/jis/14.1.16

Abstract

In order to study P element dynamics in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster , 88 isofemale lines were examined from the Firtina Valley, Turkey. The P-M gonadal dysgenesis characteristics and the molecular patterns of P and KP elements were analyzed. Gonadal dysgenesis tests showed a slight variation both for P activity and P susceptibility, however the results showed a predominant M' phenotype for this region. The P and KP element were also characterized by polymerase chain reaction. The molecular analyses showed that all the populations examined had the entire 1.15 kb KP element. The molecular patterns of KP elements were the same for the populations studied. No clear relationship was found between phenotype and genomic P element composition. The correlations between the level of gonadal dysgenesis percentage (as an index for P activity and P susceptibility) and several geoclimatic factors were tested, and no general effects of altitude, temperature, rainfall, or humidity were found. The theoretical P' strain, which is very rare in natural populations, was also recorded for this region.

Highlights

The most well-known transposable element in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster is the P element
The results of our study show that a positive but insignificant correlation exists between P activity and environmental temperature
The results of previous work revealed a significant correlation between P activity and the mean annual rainfall, suggesting a possibility that rainfall itself might be a stress factor for D. melanogaster populations (Onder and Bozcuk 2012)

Summary

Introduction

The most well-known transposable element in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster is the P element. Weak correlation was found in many natural populations between the genomic P element and the phenotypes (Anxolabehere et al 1985, 1988, 1990; Boussy and Kidwell 1987; Boussy et al 1988, 1998; Biemont et al 1990; Ronsseray et al 1991; Bonnivard and Higuet 1999; Itoh et al 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007; Itoh and Boussy 2002; Onder and Bozcuk 2012) In this scope it is known that the activity is affected by the genetic composition and the position of P element in the genome. Could an environmental stress factor such as rainfall lead to an increase of the P activity? Is there a correlation between stressful conditions such as rainfall, humidity, or temperature and P activity or susceptibility? To answer these questions, wild D. melanogaster strains from the rainy Black Sea region in Turkey, the Firtina Valley, were examined

Materials and Methods

Findings

Discussion