H. Montenegro et al., Male-killing selfish cytoplasmic element causes sex-ratio distortion in Drosophila melanogaster, HEREDITY, 85(5), 2000, pp. 465-470
Sex ratio distortion induced by a male-killing agent has been found to affe
ct Drosophila melanogaster. The trait was discovered accidentally in a coll
ection of flies from markets in Campinas, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Repeated
crosses with Canton-S males (for 15 generations to date) and successful tr
ansmission using the injection of macerates of sex ratio flies, have shown
that the trait is inherited maternally, is cytoplasmic and is infectious. C
rosses with strains marked with the visible mutation white and viability ex
periments at pre-adult stages of development, indicate that the skewed sex
ratio results from male mortality before hatching. Males do not transmit th
e trait to their progeny.