TRANSPOSITION OF THE DROSOPHILA ELEMENT MARINER INTO THE CHICKEN GERM-LINE

The ability of the Drosophila transposable element mariner to transpos e in the chicken was tested using a plasmid carrying an active mariner element injected into chick zygotes. Surviving embryos and chicks wer e analyzed for presence of mariner. Analysis of embryos that survived for at least 12 days of development indicated that mariner had transpo sed at high frequency into the chicken genome, Germline transmission o f mariner from one of three surviving birds confirmed transposition. A nalysis of the first-generation (G(1)) chicks showed that they each co ntained between one and three copies of mariner. Six different transpo sition events were represented in the G(1) birds, and the transpositio n was catalyzed by expression of the mariner element's transposase gen e, Transmission from G(1) to G(2) occurred at a 1:1 ratio, Mariner the refore has potential for development as a vector for transgenesis in a vian species.