Movement of Drosophila melanogaster transposable elements other than P elements in a P-M hybrid dysgenic cross

Summary The Drosophila melanogaster mobile DNA sequences P factors and P elements transpose at elevated rates when P strain males are mated to M strain females in a hybrid dysgenic cross (Engels 1983). Isofemale lines derived from such a cross were analysed by in situ hybridisation using cloned copies of the transposable elements copia, 412 and F. It was found that lines derived from dysgenic crosses showed a statistically significant number of new sites for these elements when compared to a non-dysgenic control cross. This result suggests a functional coupling of copia, 412 and F transposition and some component present in the P-M dysgenic system.