The period gene Thr-Gly polymorphism in Australian and African Drosophila melanogaster populations: implications for selection.

ABSTRACT: The period gene is a key regulator of biological rhythmicity in Drosophila melanogaster. The central part of the gene encodes a dipeptide Thr-Gly repeat that has been implicated in the evolution of both circadian and ultradian rhythms. We have previously observed that length variation in the repeat follows a latitudinal cline in Europe and North Africa, so we have sought to extend this observation to the southern hemisphere. We observe a parallel cline in Australia for one of the two major length variants and find higher levels of some Thr-Gly length variants, particularly at the tropical latitudes, that are extremely rare in Europe. In addition we examined >40 haplotypes from sub-Saharan Africa and find a very different and far more variable profile of Thr-Gly sequences. Statistical analy

SUBMITTER: Sawyer LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1569780 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature