QTL for survival to UV-C radiation in Drosophila melanogaster

FEDERICO H. GÓMEZ, VOLKER LOESCHCKE, FABIAN M. NORRY

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION BIOLOGY

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Ontario; Año: 2013 vol. 89 p. 583 - 589

0955-3002

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate tolerance to UV-C (ultraviolet C, 280 nm ? 100 nm) radiation in Drosophila melanogaster, implementing a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approach. This is of interest to test for genetic variation in survival to UV radiation. Materials and methods: We performed a QTL scan in D. melanogaster recombinant inbred lines (RIL) constructed from parental stocks derived from a crossing between northern and southern hemisphere populations that segregated substantial genetic variation in thermal resistance in a previous study. Here, two experimental treatments were implemented: continuous and cyclic UV-C radiation. Results: Significant QTL were detected on all three major chromosomes. Among these, multiple trait composite interval mapping revealed a significant QTL in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 2, a genome region consistently implicated in thermotolerance in previous studies. Conclusions: This study shows substantial genetic variation for UV-C radiation resistance in D. melanogaster, with QTL for survival to UV-C radiation generally overlapping with major thermotolerance QTL. The genetic architecture of UV-C radiation resistance appears to be more complex in continuously irradiated individuals.