The Drosophila bipectinata species complex: phylogenetic relationship among different members based on chromosomal variations

Abstract

Making interspecific hybridizations, where possible remains an unparalleled option for studying the intricacies of speciation. In the Drosophila bipectinata species complex comprising of four species, namely D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata, D. malerkotliana and D. pseudoananassae, interspecific hybrids can be obtained in the laboratory, thus bequeathing an ideal opportunity for studying speciation and phylogeny. With the view of investigating the degree of divergence between each species pair, we planned to study the polytene chromosomes of the F hybrids, as it would mirror the level of compatibility between the genomes of the parental species. Two sets of crosses were made, one involving homozygous strains of all four species from India and the other including homozygous strains from different places across the globe. Polytene chromosomes of F larvae from both sets of crosses had similar configurations. In F larvae from crosses involving D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata and D. malerkotliana, complex configurations (depicting overlapping inversions) could be detected in different arms. However, they were fairly synapsed, indicating that the differences are only at the level of gene arrangements. The polytene chromosomes of larvae obtained by crossing D. pseudoananassae with the other three species were very thin with gross asynapsis in all the arms, demonstrating that the genome of D. pseudoananassae is widely diverged from rest of the species. The overlapping inversions (reflected in complex configuration), are inferred in the light of earlier chromosomal studies performed in this complex.

High frequency of horizontal transfer in Jockey families (LINE order) of drosophilids

“…It is noteworthy that of the 12 Jockey families in which HTT events were validated, in five (Jockey-F39, Jockey-F43, Jockey-F44, Jockey-F58, and Jockey-F62), the transfers occurred between two distantly related groups of species (the melanogaster group and Zaprionus ) that migrated from the Eastern region to Africa. In addition, in three other families (Jockey-F36, Jockey-F53, and Jockey-F65), the transfer involved D. busckii , which is a cosmopolitan species [50] as well as D. bipectinata , which has wide distribution and spread across the Oriental-Australian biogeographic zone [51]. Additionally, in Jockey-F67, the HTT occurred between D. obscura and S. lebanonensis , which are widespread in the Palaeartic region.…”

Impact of environmental stress on biochemical profile and fitness traits in Drosophila malerkotliana

“…The present work has been done on Drosophila malerkotliana, a species thatbelongs to D. bipectinataspecies complex (Banerjee & Singh, 2017;Singh et al 2015;Singh & Banerjee, 2016;Singh & Singh, 2001). Among the Drosophila species that occur most commonly in the Indian subcontinent, this species is highly prevalent.…”

Non-random Distribution of Heterozygous Inversions in a Natural Population of Drosophila malerkotliana

“…Drosophila malerkotliana is one of the species of the D. bipectinata species complex that is found to be sparsely distributed species in Indian subcontinent (Bock 1971a, Kopp and Barmina 2005, Singh 2017, 2018. A detailed report on the phylogenetic relationship and population genetic approach to demonstrate the evolutionary history of the D. bipectinata species complex is provided by a number of researchers (Narda 1968, Bock 1971b, Bock and Wheeler 1972, Banerjee and Singh 1996, Tomimura et al 2005, Mishra and Singh 2006, Singh and Sisodia 2008, Banerjee and Singh 2017. D. malerkotliana is believed to be derived from a common ancestor of D. bipectinata (Bock 1971a, Kopp and Barmina 2005, Mishra and Singh 2006, Singh and Sisodia 2008, Banerjee and Singh 2017).…”

“…A detailed report on the phylogenetic relationship and population genetic approach to demonstrate the evolutionary history of the D. bipectinata species complex is provided by a number of researchers (Narda 1968, Bock 1971b, Bock and Wheeler 1972, Banerjee and Singh 1996, Tomimura et al 2005, Mishra and Singh 2006, Singh and Sisodia 2008, Banerjee and Singh 2017. D. malerkotliana is believed to be derived from a common ancestor of D. bipectinata (Bock 1971a, Kopp and Barmina 2005, Mishra and Singh 2006, Singh and Sisodia 2008, Banerjee and Singh 2017). There is sufficient information regarding the taxonomic and behavioral features of four species of the D. bipectinata species complex (Bock 1971b, Panigrahy1984, Gupta and Panigrahy1990, Banerjee and Singh 2017.…”