Subject: Help FlyBase - 89B11
Hi,
You may remember I approached you at your poster at the Chicago meeting
concerning the two P-element insertions A108 and A381 into your gene
89B11. I wanted information about the insertions that you said you would
send later as you did not have the details with you.
The questions are:
1) What P-element vector is used for the insertions, a natural element or
engineered element? If engineered please provide details eg is it a PZ or
lacW insertion, did you get the lines from BGDP?
2) Where have the P-elements inserted relative to the gene 89B11?
3) Is 89B11 a temporary symbol for the gene, do you have another you want
to use?
And if there is anything else you think we should know then please send
that too!
Many thanks,
Eleanor Whitfield
FlyBase
>
Subject: Description of A108 and A381
Dear Eleanor,
here the details about the stocks A108 and A381. Both carry a P-element
insertion in the same gene in 89B (transheterozygotes show the same
phenotype as homozygotes of either stock). The insertion sites are separated
by about 5 kb. Their relative position to the gene is not known as no
transcript has been identified so far. I am working on that. About 20 kb of
the surrounding genomic DNA is cloned. The P1 clones DS03648 (89B11) and
DS07922 (89B19-C1) do contain the DNA between the insertion sites. The
insertion in A108 was mapped to 89B13-16 based on in situs on polytene
chromosomes. The genetic mapping gave 3-58.2 which corresponds to 89B10.
The P-element insertions show the same phenotype (see below) when placed
over either Df(3R)sbd26 (89B9-10; 89C) or Df(3R)sbd104 (89B5; 89C)
(Heitzler et al. (1996) Genetics 143: 1271-1286). My gene is not allelic to
sbd. Taken together 89B11 seems to be quite accurate.
As a new name for the gene I would like to propose sarah (abbreviation:
sra), with the two alleles sraA108 and sraA381. To my knowledge no other
gene is named sarah. I chose this name because Sarah, Abrahams wife, was
infertile for many years but eventually had a child. This is also the fate
of homozygous sraA381 females (see below).
Genotypes (description of the P-elements see separate pages):
A108: ry sraA108/TM3, Sb ry e
A381: y w; lx sraA381 /TM3, Sb Ser
A426: w; sraA381 /TM3, Sb ry e
lx is an unidentified recessive lethal that maps to 3-47.7. To be able to
study sraA381 homozygotes, the stock A426 was established.
Phenotype:
Mating induces an increase of the female's oviposition rate and reduces her
receptivity. Sex-Peptide (SP), a male peptide pheromone transferred during
copulation, is sufficient to elicit the two postmating reactions.
The two sra alleles are recessive for female sterility and for the lack of
increase of the oviposition rate after mating or SP application. The
receptivity is slightly reduced. No effects on males have been observed.
There are some traits unique to the individual alleles.
sraA108: homozygous sraA108 females show a high mortality, 50% die within
four days after eclosion.
sraA381: homozygous sraA381 have a normal mortality, they are sterile but
have a very few offspring if kept at 28=B0C (ten females have one or two
offspring if left in the same tube for two weeks).
The P-element construct in A381 and A426
The above figure is the only information I have. The original designation
of the stock A381 was 288/30. This stock was made and kindly provided by
Dr. De=E1k, Szeged, Hungary. The stocks from his collection have been
screened for lethal P-element insertions. In my case lethality was not
caused by the P-element which allowed the construction of the stock A426.
The P-element construct in A108
The above figure is taken from Aigaki et al. (1991) Neuron 7: 557-563. A108
carries the third construct (YPhsSPg). Mature virgins from other stocks
with this construct behave like mated females, i.e. laying a lot of eggs
and refusing courting males. Mature A108 virgins do not behave this way.
Their oviposition rate is the same as the rate of virgins without the
construct. This is due to the P-element insertion into the sra gene.
Note: the figures cannot be transmitted by e-mail. Please send me a fax
number of your mailing address to provide you with the figures.
All the best, Andy