Position-effect variegation and intercalary heterochromatin: a comparative study.

Chromosoma ·Vol. 98 ·No. 5 ·1989-11-00 ·Pages 378-87

Zhimulev IF, Belyaeva ES, Bolshakov VN, Mal'ceva NI

Abstract

The behaviour of IH (intercalary heterochromatin) regions of Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes was compared with that of euchromatin condensed as a result of position-effect variegation. Normally replicating regions, when subject to such an effect, were found to become among the last regions in the genome to replicate. It is shown that the factors which enhance position effect (low temperature, the removal of the Y chromosome, genetic enhancers of position effect) increase the weak point frequency in the IH, i.e. enhance DNA underreplication in these regions. We suggest that the similarity in the properties of IH, CH (centromeric heterochromatin) and the dense blocks induced by position effect is due to strong genetic inactivation and supercondensation caused by specific proteins in early development. The primary DNA structure is not likely to play a key role in this process.

MeSH Terms

Animals DNA/biosynthesis DNA Replication Drosophila melanogaster/genetics Female Gene Frequency Heterochromatin/ultrastructure Larva/genetics Male Suppression, Genetic Temperature X Chromosome/ultrastructure Y Chromosome/ultrastructure

Chemicals

Heterochromatin DNA

Authors & Affiliations

4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Zhimulev I F

Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, USSR.

Belyaeva E S

Bolshakov V N

Mal'ceva N I

References (23)

23 references, click to expand

Correspondence of banding patterns to 3h-thymidine labeling patterns in polytene chromosomes.
Chromosoma. 1976 Aug 4;57(1):19-23 PMID: 821731
Comparative study of the function of polytene chromosomes in laboratory stocks of Drosophila melanogaster and the l(3)tl mutant (lethal tumorous larvae). I. Analysis of puffing patterns in autosomes of the laboratory stock Batumi-L.
Chromosoma. 1974 May 21;46(1):59-76 PMID: 4210096
Sequence replication and banding organization in the polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster.
J Mol Biol. 1983 Feb 15;164(1):17-34 PMID: 6405042
Identification of a nonhistone chromosomal protein associated with heterochromatin in Drosophila melanogaster and its gene.
Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Nov;6(11):3862-72 PMID: 3099166
Mutants affecting position-effect heterochromatinization in Drosophila melanogaster.
Chromosoma. 1982;85(4):539-51 PMID: 6813058
On the relationship between heterochromatization and variegation in Drosophila, with special reference to temperature-sensitive periods.
Genet Res. 1967 Oct;10(2):143-59 PMID: 6064103
The replicative organization of DNA in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila hydei.
Genetica. 1968;39(3):385-428 PMID: 4181535
Effect of temperature on morphology and DNA-content of polytene chromosomes in Drosophila.
Chromosoma. 1979 Mar 12;71(3):333-46 PMID: 446243
[DNA replication and the nature of late replicating loci in the X-chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster].
Chromosoma. 1972;37(3):233-96 PMID: 4625876
[Chromosome structure, histones and gene activity in Drosophila].
Mol Biol (Mosk). 1976 Jan-Feb;10(1):3-34 PMID: 785238
Molecular studies on interspersed repetitive and unique sequences in the region of the complementation group uncoordinated on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster.
Mol Gen Genet. 1988 Jul;213(1):63-71 PMID: 2851711
Control of polytenic replication in dipteran larvae. II. Effect of growth temperature.
J Cell Physiol. 1967 Oct;70(2):187-90 PMID: 5583334
Three euchromatic DNA sequences under-replicated in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila are localized in constrictions and ectopic fibers.
Chromosoma. 1987;95(4):227-35 PMID: 3113852
Nucleosomal structure of two Drosophila melanogaster simple satellites.
J Biol Chem. 1985 Sep 25;260(21):11799-804 PMID: 3930484
Characterization of mutations that enhance position-effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster.
Mol Gen Genet. 1989 Apr;216(2-3):328-33 PMID: 2501647
Cytogenetic and molecular aspects of position effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster. II. Peculiarities of morphology and genetic activity of the 2B region in the T(1;2)dorvar7 chromosome in males.
Chromosoma. 1988;96(3):255-61 PMID: 3129255
Organization and mapping of a sequence on the Drosophila melanogaster X and Y chromosomes that is transcribed during spermatogenesis.
Genetics. 1984 Aug;107(4):611-34 PMID: 6430749
Extensive microheterogeneity of serine tRNA genes from Drosophila melanogaster.
J Mol Biol. 1987 Oct 5;197(3):397-404 PMID: 3126300
The genetic analysis of D. melanogaster heterochromatin.
Cell. 1980 Oct;21(3):607-19 PMID: 6777044
Variegation in Drosophila and the Inert Chromosome Regions.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1936 Jan;22(1):27-33 PMID: 16588038
Molecular organization of the maternal effect region of the Shaker complex of Drosophila: characterization of an I(A) channel transcript with homology to vertebrate Na channel.
EMBO J. 1987 Nov;6(11):3419-29 PMID: 16453805
Changed pattern of transcription and replication in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster resulting from eu-heterochromatin rearrangement.
Chromosoma. 1974 Mar 14;45(2):173-91 PMID: 4210095
Intercalary heterochromatin in Drosophila. III. Homology between DNA sequences from the Y chromosome, bases of polytene chromosome limbs, and chromosome 4 of D. melanogaster.
Chromosoma. 1988 Nov;97(3):247-53 PMID: 3146482

Article Info

Journal

Chromosoma

Abbr.

Chromosoma

ISSN

0009-5915

DOI

10.1007/BF00292391

Published

1989-11-00

Pages

378-87

Language

English

Region

Austria

NLM ID

2985138R

Subset

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF00292391 View journal details

Analysis Services

Position-effect variegation and intercalary heterochromatin: a comparative study.

Contact

WeChat Official Account