A Drosophila melanogaster hobo-white(+) vector mediates low frequency gene transfer in D-virilis with full interspecific white(+) complementation

Transformation of a Drosophila virilis white mutant host strain was attempted using a hobo vector containing the D. melanogaster mini-white(+) cassette (H[w(+), hawN]) and an unmodified or heat shock regulated hobo transposase helper. Two transformant lines were recovered with the unmodified helper (HFL1), one containing only the white(+) marked vector, and a sibling line containing the vector as well as an HFL1 helper integration. An approximate total transformation frequency of 1% is deduced. A high frequency of wing and eye morphology mutants were also observed, suggesting that hobo may have mobilized a related element in D. virilis. The data reaffirms a relatively low transformation vector activity for the hobo transposon in D. virilis; however, nearly full interspecific expression of the white(+) marker supports its possible function in other species as well.