CHANGES IN THE RATE OF MUTABILITY OF THE MUTABLE MINIATURE GENE OF DROSOPHILA VIRILIS

Abstract

Three lines of mutable miniature are described, i.e., the alpha line, in which the miniature gene is mutable both in the germ cells and in the somatic cells; the gamma line, in which the mutability is limited to the somatic cells only; and the beta line, in which the gene remains almost constant. Changes were observed from miniature-alpha to beta and gamma, from miniature-beta to gamma, and from miniature-gamma to alpha and beta. Miniature-alpha appears to be the most unstable and miniature-beta the most stable of the 3 mutable miniature allelomorphs as far as the changes from one miniature allelomorph to another are concerned.