Circadian clock phenotypes of chromosome aberrations with a breakpoint at the per locus.

The circadian rhythm phenotypes of eight chromosome aberrations with a breakpoint in the region of the per locus (3B1-2) were analyzed. Two duplications and five deficiencies with a 3B1-2 breakpoint produce either a wild-type or an arrhythmic clock phenotype while one translocation with a 3B1-2 breakpoint. T(1;4)JC43, produces locomotor-activity rhythms with either very-long period (31--39 h), rhythms that grade into arrhythmicity, or completely arrhythmic phenotypes. This is a unique phenotype that had not previously been observed for mutants at the per locus. An extensive complementation analysis of 3B1-2 chromosome aberrations and per mutant alleles provided no compelling evidence for genetic complexity at the per locus. This is in contrast to the report of Young and Judd (1978). Analysis of both the locomotor-activity and eclosion phenotypes of 3B1-2 chromosome aberrations did not uncover differences in the genetic control of these two rhythms. The clock phenotypes of 3B1-2 chromosome aberrations, the three per mutant alleles, and per+ duplications suggest that mutations at the per locus shorten, lengthen, or eliminate periodicity by respectively increasing, decreasing, or eliminating per activity.