[Cloning and molecular analysis of retrotransposon mdg4 from two Drosophila melanogaster strains, differing in...

The copies of mobile element mdg4 (gypsy) were cloned from two different D. melanogaster strains. The first strain (stable) is characterized by small number of mdg4 copies and their constant localization in chromosomes. The second strain (unstable), which was originated from the first one, is characterized by increased number of mdg4 copies and higher frequency of its transpositions. The two copies of mdg4, cloned from stable and unstable strains differ in their structure and represent two different types of mdg4. Southern blot-analysis of structural organization of mdg4 in these two strains showed, that in the stable strain there are mdg4 copies of one type, and in the unstable strain there are both, but only the mdg4 copies of another type were amplified. In was shown by transient-expression experiments, that in spite of the structural differences both types of mdg4 were able to be transcribed. Nevertheless, in flies of stable strain the mdg4 transcripts were not detected.