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[Role of recessive lethal genes in spontaneous embryonal lethality in random-bred rat and mouse populations in Cuba].

Spontaneous embryonic lethality and the recessive lethal gene frequency in the gene pool of noninbred mice and rats of the bioteria of the National Research Center of the Cuba Republic Academy of Sciences were investigated. It was established that the level of spontaneous embryonic lethality among mice increased greatly as compared to that in 1977 and was 40% (versus 20% in 1977). Of this number, 30% falls within the postimplantation period. In noninbred rats, these values constituted 21.4 and 8.1%, respectively. High embryonic lethality among noninbred mice may be determined by genetic causes and the influence of ecological factors. The frequency of recessive lethals among noninbred mice was 28%, that among rats 20.8%. It is characteristic that in both categories, recessive lethals became apparent only in the postimplantation period of embryogenesis.

Animals↗

Colonization of America by Drosophila subobscura: spatial and temporal lethal-gene allelism.

About twenty years ago Drosophila subobscura, a western Palearctic species, colonized both North and South America. Lethal genes in the O chromosome has been subject to much research. Lethal gene allelisms between American populations far away have been studied. These allelisms were not negligible, but all cases were due to the lethal gene completely associated to the O5 chromosomal inversion. Here we analyze the lethal genes in a new American population of D. subobscura (Centralia, Washington), located fairly close to a previously studied population (Bellingham, Washington) and separated in space and time with other American populations (Gilroy I and II in California and Santiago de Chile). The frequencies of lethal and semilethal genes of Centralia were 16.9+/-4.6 and 6.2+/-3.0, respectively. The intrapopulational allelism of Centralia was 0.122+/-0.036. Interpopulational allelisms were studied using the lethal genes from the populations separated in space and time from Centralia. The interpopulational allelisms between Centralia and Gilroy I (California) and between Centralia and Bellingham (Washington) were higher than the intrapopulational allelism (0.155+/-0.032 and 0.153+/-0.024, respectively). In all these cases allelism was due to a complete association between a lethal gene and the O5 chromosomal inversion. Accordingly, no other lethal genes are shared in these populations.

Alleles↗

Colonization of America by Drosophila subobscura: heterotic effect of chromosomal arrangements revealed by the persistence of lethal genes.

About 20 years ago Drosophila subobscura, a native Palearctic species, colonized both North and South America. In Palearctic populations lethal genes are not associated in general with particular chromosomal arrangements. In colonizing populations they are not randomly distributed and usually are associated to a different degree with chromosomal arrangements caused by the founder event. The persistence of two lethal genes in the colonizing populations, one completely associated with the O(5) inversion and the other partially associated with the O(3+4+7) arrangement, has been analyzed. In all populations studied (five North American and six South American) the observed frequency of the lethal gene completely associated with the O(5) inversion is higher than expected, the difference being statistically significant in all South American and one North American populations. The observed frequency of the lethal gene partially associated with the O(3+4+7) arrangement is also significantly higher than expected. Taking into account that the O(5) inversion exhibits significant latitudinal clines both in North and South America, an overdominant model favoring the heterokaryotypes seems to be in operation. From this model, a polynomial expression has been developed that allows us to estimate the relative fitness and the coefficient of selection against all karyotypes not carrying the O(5) inversion. The relative fitness of the O(5) heterokaryotypes is higher in South American than in North American populations. Furthermore, the observed frequencies of the lethal genes studied are in general very close to those of the equilibrium. This case is an outstanding demonstration in nature of an heterotic effect of chromosomal segments associated with lethal genes on a large geographic scale.

Animals↗

Use of a conditionally lethal gene in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 to select for double recombinants and to entrap insertion sequences.

Use of the sacB gene (J. L. Ried and A. Collmer, Gene 57:239-246, 1987) provides a simple, effective, positive selection for double recombinants in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, a filamentous cyanobacterium. This gene, which encodes the secretory levansucrase of Bacillus subtilis, was inserted into the vector portion of a suicide plasmid bearing a mutant version of a chromosomal gene. Cells of colonies in which such a plasmid had integrated into the Anabaena chromosome through single recombination were plated on solid medium containing 5% sucrose. Under this condition, the presence of the sacB gene is lethal. A small fraction of the cells from initially sucrose-sensitive colonies became sucrose resistant; the majority of these sucrose-resistant derivatives had undergone a second recombinational event in which the sacB-containing vector had been lost and the wild-type form of the chromosomal gene had been replaced by the mutant form. By the use of this technique, we mutated two selected genes in the chromosome of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. The conditionally lethal nature of the sacB gene was also used to detect insertion sequences from this Anabaena strain. Sucrose-resistant colonies derived from cells bearing a sacB-containing autonomously replicating plasmid were analyzed. Five different, presumed insertion sequences were found to have inserted into the sacB gene of the plasmids in these colonies. One of them, denoted IS892, was characterized by physical mapping. It is 1.7 kilobases in size and is present in at least five copies in the genome of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

Cyanobacteria↗

A phosphonate monoester hydrolase from Burkholderia caryophilli PG2982 is useful as a conditional lethal gene in plants.

A bacterial phosphonate monoester hydrolase was evaluated in plants as a conditional lethal gene useful for cell ablation and negative selection. Glyphosate is a potent herbicide whereas its phosphonate monoester derivative, glyceryl glyphosate, is approximately 50-fold less active. A phosphonate monoesterase gene (pehA) encoding an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphonate esters including glyceryl glyphosate to glyphosate and glycerol was cloned from the glyphosate metabolizing bacterium, Burkholderia caryophilli PG2982. Constitutive expression of the pehA gene in Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana RLD had no observable phenotypic effects on growth and development. However, cells and plants expressing the pehA gene were killed when treated with glyceryl glyphosate. The phytotoxicity resulted from the hydrolysis of glyceryl glyphosate to glyphosate and subsequent inhibition of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis. As an example of tissue-specific cell ablation, floral sterility without vegetative toxicity was demonstrated by expressing the pehA gene using a tapetal-specific promoter and treating the mature plants with glyceryl glyphosate. A chromogenic phosphonate ester substrate, 5-bromo-4-chloro-indolyl phenylphosphonate, was used to monitor in situ expression of the pehA gene. The general utility of the pehA gene as a heterologous conditional lethal gene in plants is discussed.

Arabidopsis↗

Gene mapping within the T/t complex of the mouse. III: t-Lethal genes are arranged in three clusters on chromosome 17.

Lethal t mutations belonging to seven different complementation groups have been mapped. The overall picture emerges as three clusters of t-lethal genes: one near the proximally located tail interaction factor (tT) containing tw73; one numerous cluster associated with the MHC and including tw32, t12, tw5, tw18, and tLub-1; and one distal cluster close to the locus of tf encompassing, t0, t6, and tw12. In the two cases examined, members of the same complementation group map to the same location. Evidence is presented that more than one mutant site may be necessary for the lethality of some lethal t "mutations," and that the expression of a specific lethal phenotype may depend on cis-interactions between multiple mutations.

Alleles↗

The Drosophila zygotic lethal gene shuttle craft is required maternally for proper embryonic development.

The Drosophila gene shuttle craft (stc) is expressed zygotically in the embryonic central nervous system (CNS) where it is required to maintain the proper morphology of motoneuronal axon nerve routes following their migration from the ventral cord. Here, we report that a prominent maternal source of STC protein is also present throughout both oogenesis and embryogenesis. To determine whether this maternal component is required in the ovary and/or embryo, we used the Drosophila autosomal dominant female sterile technique to generate germ-line clones that lacked the stc maternal function. Our results demonstrate that a maternally derived source of STC protein is required during embryogenesis but not oogenesis. In contrast to the zygotic phenotype, the primary defect in embryos derived from stc germ-line clones affects segmentation by causing disruptions and deletions in distinct thoracic (T1-T3) and abdominal (A4-A8) segments. These localized defects are responsible for additional phenotypes observed later in development which include gaps in the ventral nerve cord and deletions of denticle belts in the cuticle. An additional phenotype occurring in all other neuromeric segments consists of the misguided migration of motoneuronal axons as they project out of the ventral nerve cord. Thus, the stc zygotic function is required later in development and cannot correct the segmentation and subsequent CNS abnormalities associated with loss of its earlier acting maternally derived activity.

Animals↗

Further studies with a sex-linked lethal gene in the fowl.

1. The ladykiller (lk) gene has been located on the sex chromosome of the fowl. It is 4.2 map units distant from the feathering rate locus (k) and 11.2 map units distant from the dwarf (dw) locus. 2. Most of the embryonic mortalities associated with this gene occurred between 3 and 4 d of incubation.

Animals↗