Open AccessEvidence for a gene determining the size of polygonal patterns of the egg chorion in the silkworm
Author(s) -
YAMAMURA TOMOMICHI,
SAHARA KEN,
IIZUKA TOSHIHIKO,
KAWAMURA NAOKO
Publication year - 1992
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.1601-5223.1992.tb00170.x
Subject(s) - biology , ploidy , chromosome , gene , genetics , evolutionary biology , anatomy
Polygonal patterns on the lateral region of eggs of diploid, triploid, and tetraploid silkworms were observed. Significant differences in the area and number of knobs were found in the eggs from two types of triploid mothers carrying different numbers of Z chromosomes (ZZW and ZWW). The area and the number of knobs were also largely different in eggs of two types of F, tetraploid mothers, ZZWW and ZZZW. The number of Z chromosomes is clearly related to the enlargement of the polygonal pattern area. A gene in the Z chromosome is evidently responsible for the dose effect in the size of the polygonal pattern. The system can be used to assess levels of ploidy in the silkworm.