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Fluctuating asymmetry for specific bristle characters in Notch mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract

Asymmetry has been used as a measure of developmental stability for bilaterally symmetrical organisms. Most studies have failed to partition the genetic and environmental contributions to the asymmetry phenotype due to the limitations of the systems used or the shortcomings in experimental design. The Notch mutants of Drosophila melanogaster were used to study the genetic contribution to asymmetry for six different bristle characters. Asymmetry response was character specific for the mutants examined. For N spl, N Co, N 264–47, Ax 71d, Ax 9B2, Ax E2, l(1)N B and nd 2 significant asymmetry responses, relative to wildtype Canton‐S, were observed for some characters. N 60g11 and nd 1 did not exhibit significant asymmetry for any of the characters examined. All of the mutants except N 60g11 and nd 1 showed thoracic bristle asymmetry. However, when asymmetry scores were pooled over the five bristle characters which individually exhibited fluctuating asymmetry, no significant differences were found between any genotypes. Therefore pooling asymmetry values across characters obscures the significant character specific asymmetry values observed. Thus caution is necessary when using the asymmetry phenotype of specific characters to draw organism wide conclusions about developmental stability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3010

    H. Indrasamy, J.A. McKenzie & P. Batterham

  2. Department of Genetics, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia, 3083

    R.E. Woods

Authors
  1. H. Indrasamy
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  2. R.E. Woods
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  3. J.A. McKenzie
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  4. P. Batterham
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Indrasamy, H., Woods, R., McKenzie, J. et al. Fluctuating asymmetry for specific bristle characters in Notch mutants of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetica 109, 151–159 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017535930657

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