1. ¹Laboratoire Populations, Génétique et Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
2. ²Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, Université François Rabelais, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France
3. ³Laboratoire de Génétique Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université de Poitiers, CHU, 86021 Poitiers Cedex, France

Correspondence: S Aulard, Laboratoire Populations, Génétique et Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France. E-mail: Sylvie.Aulard@pge.cnrs-gif.fr

Received 27 November 2002; Accepted 10 June 2003; Published online 7 January 2004.

Abstract

The impact of the hobo transposable element in the global reorganization of the Drosophila melanogaster genome has been investigated in transgenic lines generated by the injection of hobo elements into the Hikone strain, which lacked them previously. Extensive surveys of transgenic lines followed for 250 generations have identified 13 inversions with hobo inserts at most breakpoints. One of these inversions is pericentric on chromosome 2. It has been maintained in the line where it was discovered and in several sublines at frequencies from 0.19 to 0.45, generating stable chromosomal polymorphisms, similar to cosmopolitan paracentric inversions in natural populations. Individuals homozygous for this inversion were viable and fertile, allowing the creation of a new homozygous strain. Hobo elements were still active after 250 generations.