We present data for the initial construction of a molecular linkage map for the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, based on 52 progeny from an F2 cross from a pair mating of inbred strains p50 and C108, using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). The map contains 15 characterized single copy sequences, 36 anonymous sequences derived from a follicular cDNA library, and 10 loci corresponding to a low copy number retrotransposon, mag. The 15 linkage groups and 8 ungrouped loci account for 23 of the 28 chromosomes and span a total recombination length of 413 cM; 10 linkage groups were correlated with established classic genetic maps. Scoring data from Southern blots were analysed using two Pascal programs written specifically to analyse linkage data in Lepidoptera, where females are the heterogametic sex and have achiasmatic meiosis (no crossing-over). These first examine evidence for linkage by calculating the maximum lod score under the hypothesis that the two loci are linked over the likelihood under the hypothesis that the two loci assort independently, and then determine multilocus linkage maps for groups of putatively syntenic loci by calculating the maximum likelihood estimate of the recombination fractions and the log likelihood using the EM algorithm for a specified order of loci along the chromosome. In addition, the possibility of spurious linkage was exhaustively tested by searching for genotypes forbidden by the absence of crossing-over in one sex.

A comparison of the gene-environment interactions of the eyg mutant in two different genetic backgrounds clearly demonstrates that the properties of the genetic background play a major role in the control of the gene-environment interactions of this mutant. Similarly, modifier background is important in the determination of the sensitive stages in eye development to a cholesterol-deficient diet.

The phenotypic identity of the eyeless and eye-gone mutants suggests a close underlying metabolic and developmental relationship. Possible inter-relations of these two mutant genes are discussed in the light of their gene-environment interactions in a standardized genotype.

An experimental method is proposed for detecting the effects of positive natural selection on DNA polymorphisms. Since beneficial mutations are expected to increase in frequency faster than neutral mutations, variants which have reached high frequencies in a relatively short period could be linked to some beneficial mutation. D. melanogaster has a cosmopolitan polymorphic inversion -In(2L)t - whose age in some local populations has been estimated. Setting the age of In(2L)t as the upper limit for the age of variants, we searched for variants whose frequencies were possibly influenced by positive natural selection. We detected a single candidate whose frequency and distribution met the requirements imposed by our method.

The cloning of the rpoB and rpoC genes in a high copy number vector in E. coli increased the amount of the encoded gene products, the β and β′ subunits of RNA polymerase. However, this unexpectedly caused a 30–50% decrease in RNA synthetic activity which alternatively induced a reduction of growth rate and enlargement of cell size, and decreased the DNA replication time. The results can be explained by autogenous regulation of the RNA polymerase genes by the ββ′ subunits. A relation between the decrease in number of transcription units and the observed higher rate of movement of DNA replication forks is discussed.

Sarcina flava ATCC 540 (ade) and Micrococcus flavocyaneus ATCC 8673 (ade), two related micrococci, were transformed to prototrophy at frequencies as high as 0·02% and 0·005% of colony-forming units, respectively. Both of these organisms were transformed by selected prototrophic strains of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, M. flavocyaneus, S. flava and Sarcina lutea.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus wild-type NRRL1555( − ), the standard strain, when crossed with UBC21( + ), another wild type, gives zygospores that germinate in 50–60 days. By backcrossing to UBC21 and selecting for shorter dormancy we have isolated a ( − ) strain, A803, and a ( + ) strain A804, which when crossed give zygospores that germinate in 32 days, the shortest dormancy period found in Phycomyces. The same result was obtained when A803 was crossed with UBC21. Zygospore dormancy decreased as the parental strains became more isogenic with UBC21, but the number of zygospores giving germsporangia with viable germspores also decreased to zero in the third backcross. The existence of germspore-killer alleles in the strain UBC21 is postulated. The strains of shortest dormancy can be used as helper strains (Orejas et al. 1985) in sexual crosses. Tetrad analysis of the cross NRRL1554 × S102, a two-factor cross, showed 90% of reciprocal ditypes plus tetratypes in the progeny, indicating that the ( + ) wild-type strain NRRL1554, when crossed with the standard strain, gives regular meiosis and, contrary to current beliefs, may be used in Phycomyces genetic analysis.

The detached cilia from sexually reactive cells of Paramecium bursaria will agglutinate with the cilia of intact sexually reactive animals of a complementary mating type. No such reaction will occur if incompetent cells are used or if the cells are of the same mating type. Particulates other than cilia do not adhere to tester cells; the cilia which carry the specific mating-type substances are restricted to the ventro-lateral surface of the animal.

Studies of the heat inactivation of the ability of detached cilia to agglutinate confirm in detail the hypothesis of Metz which holds that cell unions leading to conjugation are brought about by the interaction of two pairs of complementary substances, A and a and B and b; the former pair of substances is more heat labile than the latter. The data suggest that animals of each of the four mating types carry a unique combination of two substances, namely, AB, aB, ab, and Ab.

It has been shown previously that, even in the absence of linkage, selection can cause an appreciable change in the genetic variance of a metric character due to disequilibrium; this change is temporary and is rapidly reversed when selection ceases. This result is here extended to allow for the effect of linkage, and it is shown that the change in the variance is effectively determined by the harmonic mean of the recombination fractions. The validity of the approximate general formula derived here has been checked by comparison with exact results obtained from models with five or six loci. In order to determine the likely value of the harmonic mean recombination fraction, a simple model was constructed in which it was assumed that loci are distributed at random along the chromosome maps. Results of computer simulations of this model are reported for different chromosome numbers and numbers of loci.

In plants, models for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) based on flanking markers have been mainly developed for progenies of inbred lines. We propose twoflanking marker models for QTL mapping in F1 progenies of non-inbred parents. The first is based on the segregation of four different scorable alleles at a marker locus (the four-allele model) and the second (the commonallele model) on one scorable allele per marker locus segregating in both parents. These models are suitable for the majority of the allelic configurations which may occur in crosses between heterozygous parents. For both cases, when four scorable or one common-allele per marker locus segregate, additional algorithms were developed to estimate the recombination frequency between two marker loci. Tests carried out with simulated populations of various sizes indicate that the models provide a good estimate of QTL genotypic means and of recombination frequencies between flanking markers and between the marker loci and the QTL.The estimates of QTL genotypic means have a higher precision than the estimates of recombination frequencies. The four-allele model shows a higher ability to detect QTLs than the common-allele model. If segregation ratios are distorted, the power of both models and the precision of the estimates of recombination frequencies are reduced, whereas the accuracy of estimates of QTL genotype means is not affected by distorted segregation ratios. The power of the common-allele model is substantially reduced if QTL genotypic means depend on additive allelic interactions, whereas the four-allele model is less affected by the non-additive behaviour of QTL alleles.

The hairs and follicles from mice carrying the naked (N) gene have been examined using both scanning and transmission electron microscopy in addition to light microscopy. Fibre cuticle cells and occasionally cortical cells were absent from the follicles of N / + mice when the base of the hair was growing. In N / N follicles there was a frequent lack of both cuticle and cortical cells throughout the growth phase of the follicles. Abnormalities were also observed in the manner in which the synthesized keratin was deposited in the fibres. The possible mode of action of the N gene is discussed in the light of these results.

Growth of K(P1) bacteria under conditions which lead to a reduction in the level of nucleases also leads to a reduction of their ability to restrict the growth of λ.C. Experiments designed to estimate the time after adsorption at which restriction takes place indicate that phage DNA is probably restricted by a nuclease while passing through the periplasm.

UV induces lesions in DNA which lead to the death of cells, mutation and, in yeast, intragenic and intergenic mitotic recombination. We have investigated the interaction of two post-treatments, dark holding and photoreactivation, on the frequencies of these events. It was found that dark holding reduces cell death and intergenic recombinants, but causes an increase in intragenic recombination frequency. Photoreactivation reduces cell death and intragenic recombination, but has no effect on intergenic recombination. After dark holding, photoreactivation has no further effect on cell survival or intergenic recombination, but may reduce the frequency of intragenic recombinants. After photoreactivation, dark holding still causes an increase in cell survival and the frequency of intragenic recombination, and reduces the frequency of intergenic recombination.