The instability of the TE-like mutation Dp(2:2)GYL of Drosophila melanogaster is intimately associated with the hobo element.

We have characterized molecularly several derivatives of the TE-like element Dp(2:2)GYL of Drosophila melanogaster. This highly unstable mutation occurred in a dysgenic cross involving the 23.5 MRF chromosome, and represents an inverted insertional duplication of approximately 130 polytene bands of the paternal 2L, at 50AB of the right arm of the maternal 2R. The instability of this mutation is characterized by deletion of some of duplicated material, by the induction of rearrangements in its vicinity and by the transposition of parts of the original element. We have found that the mobile element hobo is present at , or very near, the breakpoints of all GYL derivatives analysed, demonstrating that hobo is not only active in dysgenic crosses, but also that it can promote genetic instability reminiscent of transposable elements (TE).