Rapid change of chromomeric and pairing patterns of polytene chromosome tips in D. melanogaster: migration of polytene-nonpolytene transition zone?

The high variability of chromomeric patterns in near-terminal regions of polytene chromosome arms has been explored in a number of races, strains and hybrids of Drosophila melanogaster. Traditional explanations for tip differences between strains (differential compaction of chromatin, somatic or germinal deletion) are examined and, in the light of the reported observations, rejected. The range of polytene tip variability and rates of change in wild races are greater than has been supposed: strains formerly considered to be terminally deleted appear to gain terminal bands; others, formerly considered normal, appear to have lost them. Strains with high cell-to-cell tip variability are also described. Cell-to-cell variations, as well as much of the observed rapid changes in tip appearance, are probably due to heritable differences in the location of an abrupt transition zone between polytene and nonpolytene chromatin. A quantitative relationship between the amount of certain subterminal bands present and the frequency of tip association of nonhomologous chromosomes is shown and its possible significance for chromosome is shown and its possible for chromosome pairing discussed.