Open AccessMode of inheritance of major genes controlling life span differences between two inbred strains of Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
YONEMURA ISAMU,
MOTOYAMA TOMIO,
HASEKURA HAYATO
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1990.tb00398.x
Subject(s) - biology , drosophila melanogaster , genetics , mendelian inheritance , locus (genetics) , allele , dominance (genetics) , gene , heterozygote advantage , inbred strain , life span , major gene , gene interaction , evolutionary biology
Although life span is generally considered to be under polygenic control, we obtained experimental evidence of Mendelian genes exerting major effects on life span differences between two inbred strains of Drosophila melanogaster. Our data indicate two loci with major effects, one being autosomal and the other sex‐linked. The alleles at the autosomal locus are designated A , and A 2 , the latter producing longer life. Heterozygotes, A t A 2 , exhibit over‐dominance. The alleles at the sex‐linked locus, designated X f and X 2 , produce life‐extending effects. X , revealed a dosage effect, causing homozygous females to live longer than hemizygous males; X 2 showed no dosage effect. The identified genes are considered to control the period of activity of many genes maintaining life.