Transplantation of nuclei between eggs of different species ofDrosophila

Interspecific chimeras have been produced by nuclear transplantation inDrosophila. The following species were used:Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, D. mauritiana, D. teissieri, D. yakuba, D. erecta andD. ananassae.Nuclei transplantated into fertilized eggs were able to multiply in a foreign cytoplasm and heterologous cells become integrated into the embryo to give viable adult chimeras.The morphological pattern of differentiation was autonomous both from that of the host and donor. In some cases, a possible non-compatibility between nuclei and cytoplasm has been postulated to explain the lack of chimeras.