GENE-TRANSFER INTO THE MEDFLY, CERATITIS-CAPITATA, WITH A DROSOPHILA-HYDEI TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENT

Exogenous functional DNA was introduced into the germline chromosomes of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata with a germ line transformation system based on the transposable element Mines fro m Drosophila hydei. Transformants were identified as phenotypic revert ants of a white-eyed mutation carried by the recipient strain. Cluster s of transformants were detected among the progeny of 390 individuals screened for germline transformation. Five independent and phenotypica lly active integration events were identified, in each of which a sing le copy of the transposon was inserted into a different site of the me dfly genome. Molecular analysis indicates that they represent transpos ase-mediated insertions of the transposon into medfly chromosomes.