Site specificity of mutations arising in dysgenic hybrids of Drosophila melanogaster.

Mutations arising in dysgenic hybrids of Drosophila melanogaster were collected in the zeste-white region of the X chromosome. A preponderance of the mutations affected the zw1 locus; many of these were asociated with structural abnormalities including inversions, deficiencies, and insertions in the 3A3-4 region of the polytene chromosome map. The extreme sensitivity of the zw1 locus to the mutator activity of dysgenic hybrids contrasted with the apparent insensitivity of the zw2 locus. Other loci in the zeste-white region were weakly sensitive to the mutator activity. Insertions of two and six bands were seen between bands 3A4 and 3A6 in the chromosomes of one of the zw1 mutant stocks examined. Another insertion was detected at position 2F4-5 in a different stock. Many of the mutant chromosome were evidently unstable, as judged by secondary breakage in other parts of the X chromosome. The cytogenetic data are consistent with the idea that mutations arising in dysgenic hybrids are caused by transposable elements which insert preferentially at certain sites on the chromosomes.