RRC ID 566
Author Abe H, Seki M, Ohbayashi F, Tanaka N, Yamashita J, Fujii T, Yokoyama T, Takahashi M, Banno Y, Sahara K, Yoshido A, Ihara J, Yasukochi Y, Mita K, Ajimura M, Suzuki MG, Oshiki T, Shimada T.
Title Partial deletions of the W chromosome due to reciprocal translocation in the silkworm Bombyx mori.
Journal Insect Mol Biol
Abstract In the silkworm, Bombyx mori (female, ZW; male, ZZ), femaleness is determined by the presence of a single W chromosome, irrespective of the number of autosomes or Z chromosomes. The W chromosome is devoid of functional genes, except the putative female-determining gene (Fem). However, there are strains in which chromosomal fragments containing autosomal markers have been translocated on to W. In this study, we analysed the W chromosomal regions of the Zebra-W strain (T(W;3)Ze chromosome) and the Black-egg-W strain (T(W;10)+(w-2) chromosome) at the molecular level. Initially, we undertook a project to identify W-specific RAPD markers, in addition to the three already established W-specific RAPD markers (W-Kabuki, W-Samurai and W-Kamikaze). Following the screening of 3648 arbitrary 10-mer primers, we obtained nine W-specific RAPD marker sequences (W-Bonsai, W-Mikan, W-Musashi, W-Rikishi, W-Sakura, W-Sasuke, W-Yukemuri-L, W-Yukemuri-S and BMC1-Kabuki), almost all of which contained the border regions of retrotransposons, namely portions of nested retrotransposons. We confirmed the presence of eleven out of twelve W-specific RAPD markers in the normal W chromosomes of twenty-five silkworm strains maintained in Japan. These results indicate that the W chromosomes of the strains in Japan are almost identical in type. The Zebra-W strain (T(W;3)Ze chromosome) lacked the W-Samurai and W-Mikan RAPD markers and the Black-egg-W strain (T(W;10)+(w-2) chromosome) lacked the W-Mikan RAPD marker. These results strongly indicate that the regions containing the W-Samurai and W-Mikan RAPD markers or the W-Mikan RAPD marker were deleted in the T(W;3)Ze and T(W;10)+(w-2) chromosomes, respectively, due to reciprocal translocation between the W chromosome and the autosome. This deletion apparently does not affect the expression of Fem; therefore, this deleted region of the W chromosome does not contain the putative Fem gene.
Volume 14(4)
Pages 339-52
Published 2005-8-1
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2005.00565.x
PII IMB565
PMID 16033428
MeSH Animals Base Sequence Bombyx / genetics* Chromosome Deletion Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial DNA / chemistry DNA / genetics Female Gene Library Genetic Markers In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence Male Molecular Sequence Data Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique Retroelements / genetics Sex Chromosome Aberrations* Sex Chromosomes / genetics* Translocation, Genetic / genetics*
IF 2.533
Times Cited 22
WOS Category ENTOMOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Resource
Silkworms p50