Visible mutations induced by P-M hybrid dysgenesis in Drosophila melanogaster result predominantly from P element insertions.

This study supplied no evidence that P-M hybrid dysgenesis is a general release mechanisms for transposon movement. Newly induced mutations (23 singed, three yellow, and one white) were generated by hybrid dysgenesis and were molecularly analyzed for the presence or absence of P element insertions. Only one dysgenically-induced insertion mutation out of 27 analyzed was the result of a non-P insert; this frequency is not statistically above the non-dysgenic control level. Thus, it appears that individual transposable elements families are independently regulated.