Genetic instability in Drosophila melanogaster: Transpositions of the white gene and their role in the phenotypic expression of the zeste gene

Summary Seven independent transpositions of the w ⁺ gene have been recovered as derivatives of two separate direct tandem duplications of the white locus. The transpositions map to discrete sites on both major autosomes. Five transpositions were employed to study the role of w ⁺ gene dos-age on zeste (z) gene expression. Each transposition generates a unique zeste phenotype; one transposition is not predictive for another. A functional allele of zeste, z ^77h, responds to w ⁺ gene dosage contrary to the z response.Supported by NIH grant GM22221