Over the years we have generated many unique Drosophila melanogaster lines.  Most of these contain P-element inserts with a visible reporter of Position Effect Variegation (PEV), most often an hsp70-driven white gene, designed to report on the local chromatin environment. Lines currently in our collection are listed below in association with the paper that describes the generation and characterization of these lines in greater detail (usually including determining the insertion site of the P-element reporter).  (Most of these papers can be accessed through this website; see Research.)  While some of these lines have been in continuous use, many others have not been used after the original publication.  Therefore, we make no guarantees that the lines currently available are as originally reported.  Through stock amplification and general maintenance over the years, the transposable elements are occasionally lost or altered; in some cases the phenotype is suppressed or enhanced, presumably due to drift or selection among the background chromosomes.  In lines where drift (gradual change in phenotype) occurs over many generations, most often one see a suppression of PEV (greater expression of white at 25°C).  The starting phenotype can generally be recovered by crossing the sibs exhibiting the strongest silencing (PEV) and/or backcrossing to a white minus stock. We recommend using inverse PCR to confirm the P element insertion site, and to check for additional critical genetic elements prior to using these lines in an investigation.

All lines are available now through May 2019, when the Elgin Drosophila lab will be closed.   Please direct requests to Jo Wuller at wuller@wustl.edu, with a cc to Sarah Elgin (selgin@wustl.edu).

Initial lines exhibiting a PEV phenotype dependent on a heterochromatic environment:  Lines labeled 39C or 118E are from Wallrath and Elgin, 1995, Genes Dev. 9:1263-77.  PMID: 7758950.  Lines labeled HS are from Cryderman et al, 1998, Chromosoma 107: 277-85 (PMID: 9880760).  Further characterization of lines with a pericentric heterochromatin reporter (location C below) is in Cryderman et al 1998, and of lines with a telomere heterochromatin reporter (location T below) is in Cryderman et al 1999, EMBO J. 18:3724-35 (PMID 10393187). C, pericentric heterochromatin; T, telomeric or TAS heterochromatin, M, medial region of the fourth chromosome

NameLocation 
118E-XX euchromatinHomozygous Viable
118E-3C 4Homozygous Viable
118E-5T 4Homozygous Viable
118E-9C 4Homozygous Viable
118E-10C 4Homozygous Viable
118E-12C 3RHomozygous Viable
118E-15T 4Homozygous Viable
118E-16T 3RHomozygous Viable
118E-18T 4Homozygous Viable
118E-19102 B-CHomozygous Viable
118E-21subT 2RHomozygous Viable
118E-22THomozygous Viable
118E-25C XHomozygous Viable
118E-25-1C XHomozygous Viable
118E-25-5102D-EHomozygous Viable
118E-26T 3RHomozygous Viable
118E-28C XHomozygous Viable
118E-29C XHomozygous Viable
118E-32C XHomozygous Viable
HS-1C 3L 79C-D 
HS-2C 3 
HS-3C 3L 76E-77A 
HS-4T 4 
HS-5C 2L 
HS-6T 4 
39C-XX euchromatinHomozygous Viable
39C-2C 2R 42A-BHomozygous Viable
39C-3C 2LHomozygous Viable
39C-4C 3*Homozygous Viable
39C-5T 2LHomozygous Viable
39C-12102DHomozygous Viable
39C-27T 2RHomozygous Viable
39C-31T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-33M 4Homozygous Viable
39C-34102 E-FHomozygous Viable
39C-41C 4Homozygous Viable
39C-42102 B-CHomozygous Viable
39C-50T 2RHomozygous Viable
39C-51T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-52102 CHomozygous Viable
39C-55T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-58T 2RHomozygous Viable
39C-61T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-62T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-63T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-65THomozygous Viable
39C-66YHomozygous Viable
39C-68T 4Homozygous Viable
39C-70C 4Homozygous Viable
39C-714Homozygous Viable
39C-72T 4Homozygous Viable
39C-73T 3RHomozygous Viable
39C-74THomozygous Viable
39C-18102D-E 
39C-28102E-F 
39C-33M 4 
39C-41C 4 
39C-76? 
HS-7102E 

*Not 2L as originally cytogenically mapped

Lines carrying an hsp70-white reporter inserted on the fourth chromosome but   exhibiting a red eye phenotype are reported in Sun et al 2000, PNAS USA 97: 5340-5 (PMCID: PMC25830).

Name
1M 707-82
1M 707R/Ci[d]
2M 59A-R/Ci[d]
2M 663R/Ci[d]
2M 371R/Ci[d]
2M 390R/Ci[d]
2M 530R-S/Ci[d]
2M 626V/Ci[d]
2M 823-S/Ci[d]
2M 1021R/T(3.4)
2M 802S/Ci[d]
2M 913 Spa
2M 010R 4rth Red #1

Screens designed to report on the local chromatin environment along the fourth chromosome produced many local insertions and deletions, as well as new insertions, as reported in Sun et al 2004 Mol Cell Biol 24: 8210-20 (DOI: 10.1128/MCB.24.18.8210-8220.2004) (series 4-6 below) and Riddle et al 2008 Genetics 178: 1177-91 (DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.08.1828) (series 7-8 below).  Screen #7 also recovered some additional variegating lines with insertions on other chromosomes.

Name 
4M 33/Ci[d] 
4M 148V/Ci[d] 
4M 150V/Ci[d] 
4M 270V/Ci[d] 
4M 271/Ci[d] R/R 
4M 284V/Ci[d] 
4M 307V/Ci[d] 
4M 325/Ci[d] 
4M 344V/Ci[d] 
4M 348/Ci[d] 
4M 382V/Ci[d] 
4M 421V/Ci[d] 
4M 467R/Ci[d] 
4M 529V/Ci[d] 
4M 552V/Ci[d] 
4M 563V/Ci[d] 
4M 598V/Ci[d] 
4M 632V/Ci[d] 
4M 637V/Ci[d] 
4M 638/Ci[d] 
4M 660V/Ci[d] 
4M 667V/Ci[d] 
4M 759V/Ci[d] 
4M 779V/Ci[d] 
4M 838R/Ci[d] 
4M 871V/Ci[d] 
4M 919V/Ci[d] 
4M 935V/Ci[d] 
4M 979V/Ci[d] 
4M 993V/Ci[d] 
4M 1005V/Ci[d] 
4M 1030R/Ci[d] 
4M 1106V/Ci[d] 
4M 1107/Ci[d] 
4M 1207V/Ci[d] 
4M 1226V/Ci[d] 
4M 1277V/Ci[d] 
4M 1285R/Ci[d] 
4M 1323V/Ci[d] 
4M 1385V/Ci[d] 
Name 
5M 140V/Ci[d] 
5M 153V/Ci[d] 
5M 165V/Ci[d] 
5M 187V/Ci[d] 
5M 188V/Ci[d] 
5M 197V/Ci[d] 
5M 199V/Ci[d] 
5M 201V/Ci[d] 
5M 234V/Ci[d] 
5M 237V/Ci[d] 
5M 241V/Ci[d] 
5M 244V/Ci[d] 
5M 263V/Ci[d] 
5M 272V/Ci[d] 
5M 275/Ci[d] 
5M 276V/Ci[d] 
5M 280V/Ci[d] 
5M 293V/Ci[d] 
5M 296V/Ci[d] 
5M 297V/Ci[d] 
5M 303V/Ci[d] 
5M 334V/Ci[d] 
5M 336V/Ci[d] 
5M 337V/Ci[d] 
5M 339V/Ci[d] 
5M 340/Ci[d] 
5M 341/Ci[d] 
5M 344V/Ci[d] 
5M 345V/(Ci[d]) P/P 
5M 349V/Ci[d] 
5M 350/Ci[d] 
5M 351V/Ci[d] 
5M 353V/Ci[d] 
5M 354/Ci[d] 
5M 358V/Ci[d] 
5M 359V/Ci[d] 
5M 361V/Ci[d] 
5M 363V/Ci[d] 
5M 298V on Y 
5M 309V/2475 on 2 
5M 1V 
5M 42V 
5M 87V 
5M 91V 
5M 49 
5M 8V 
5M 11V 
5M 63V 
5M 93V 
5M 97V 
5M 70V 
5M 15V 
5M 17V 
5M 72V 
5M 106V 
5M 107V 
5M 74V 
5M 19 
5M 29V 
5M 84V 
5M 113V 
5M 119 
5M 85V 
5M 34V 
5M 36V 
5M 133V 
Name 
6-M 114 
6-M 314 
6-M 174 
6-M 175 
6-M 350 
6-M 156v 
6-M 170 
6-M 365 
6-M 182 
6-M 265 
6-M 397 
6-M 180v 
6-M 193v 
6-M 421 
6-M 237 
6-M 528v 
6-M 534 
6-M 246 
6-M 249 
6-M 252 
6-M 155v 
6-M 69 
6-M 461v 
6-M 367 
6-M 311v 
6-M 281v 
6-M 279 
NameNotes
7M 30/Ci[d] 
7M 53V/Ci[d] 
7M 201/Ci[d] 
7M 369/Ci[d] 
7M 484V/Ci[d] 
7M 547/Ci[d] 
7M 586/Ci[d] 
7M 972/Ci[d] 
7M 973/Ci[d] 
7M 1015/Ci[d] 
7M 1061V/Ci[d] 
7M 1067/Ci[d] 
7M 1079/(Ci[d]) P/P 
7M 1114/Ci[d] 
7M 1148V/Ci[d] 
7M 1244/(Ci[d]) P/P 
7M 1365V/Ci[d] 
7M 1399V/Ci[d] 
7M 116Von 2
7M 415on Y
7M 117Von 2
7M 26on Y
7M 27on Y
7M 608Von 3
7M 641Von 3
7M 28on Y
7M 29on Y
7M 879Von 3
7M 143Von Y
8M 100V 
8M 107 
8M 112 on Y 
8M 114 on Y 
8M 115V 
8M 116V 
8M 117V 
8M 128V 
8M 130 
8M 135 
8M 136 
8M 141 
8M 152V 
8M 154V 
8M 167V 
8M 168V 
8M 175 
8M 192 
8M 199 
8M 1V 
8M 207 
8M 214V 
8M 227 
8M 235 
8M 262 
8M 266 
8M 285/(Ci[d]) P/P 
8M 28V 
8M 293 
8M 309V 
8M 316/(Ci[d]) P/P 
8M 318/Ci[d] 
8M 435V-5 
8M 56 
8M 57V 
8M 66V-5 
8M 68V 
8M 76 on Y 
8M 78V 
8M 83V 
8M 84V 
8M 90V-5 
8M 91V-5 
8M 94V 
8M 99V 
    

 Screens designed to assess the impact of including a repetitious element (TE remnant 1360) along with hsp70-white in the P element reporter are reported in Haynes et al 2006 Curr Biol 16: 2222-7 (DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2006.09.035) (T series below) and Huisinga et al 2016 Genetics 202: 565-82 (DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.183228) (9m series below; 9m1 has one copy of 1360, while 9m4 has four copies of 1360).  Haynes et al identifies a site (at the base of 2L) where silencing is dependent on the 1360.  Huisinga et al shows that given inclusion of 1360, the P element inserts most often at the base of 2L and the TAS regions of 2R and 3R.

NameNotes
T190-177From Box XLV
T190-177Select PEV
ΔT190-177(-1360)
T190-212 
ΔT1-90E/TM3 Sb(-1360)
T1-36C 
T1-60F(-1360)
T1-32E 
T190-168/Tm3 Sb 
ΔT1-60F(-1360)

Name

9m1-1
9m1-1012
9m1-105
9m1-137
9m1-170
9m1-201
9m1-23
9m1-246
9m1-270
9m1-273
9m1-287
9m1-287 #9
9m1-294
9m1-318
9m1-332
9m1-341
9m1-361
9m1-369
9m1-4
9m1-417
9m1-423
9m1-477
9m1-524
9m1-570
9m1-632
9m1-692
9M1-692 #13
9m1-7
9m1-752
9m1-770
9m1-786
9m1-827
9m1-851
9m1-891
9m1-912
9m1-929
9m1-940
9m1-971
9m1-981
9m1-99
9m1-996
9m4-10
9M4-104
9M4-11
9m4-12
9m4-128
9m4-13
9m4-157
9m4-163
9m4-166
9m4-17
9m4-18
9m4-185
9m4-19
9m4-2
9m4-20
9M4-212
9M4-212
9m4-212
9M4-214
9M4-214
9m4-214
9M4-217
9M4-217
9m4-217
9m4-220
9m4-222
9m4-226
9m4-23
9m4-24
9m4-241
9m4-247
9m4-25
9m4-26
9m4-27
9m4-278
9m4-282
9m4-289
9m4-292
9m4-293
9M4-31
9m4-313
9m4-33
9m4-340
9m4-340
9m4-340*-348
9m4-348*-340*
9m4-349
9m4-35
9m4-353
9m4-36
9m4-364
9M4-366
9M4-366
9m4-366
9M4-37
9m4-379
9M4-39
9m4-397
9M4-4
9M4-40
9m4-41
9m4-45
9m4-47
9m4-472
9m4-486
9m4-487
9m4-490
9m4-506
9m4-51
9m4-525
9m4-54
9m4-558
9m4-56
9m4-560
9m4-564
9m4-574
9M4-58
9m4-580
9m4-584
9m4-59
9m4-595
9m4-598
9m4-6
9m4-602
9m4-61
9M4-62
9m4-626
9m4-629
9M4-63
9m4-632
9M4-64
9m4-640
9m4-644
9m4-647
9M4-65
9m4-656
9M4-73
9M4-74
9M4-76
9M4-77
9M4-79
9m4-8
9M4-80
9M4-81
9M4-82
9M4-84
9M4-85
9M4-87
9M4-88
9M4-89
9m4-9
9M4-92
9M4-95

 The screen using a P element with a copy of 1360 adjacent to the hsp70-white reporter was repeated using a “landing pad” construct to recover a variegating reporter, dependent on 1360, that would allow analysis of critical elements for 1360-dependent silencing (Sentmanat & Elgin, 2012, PNAS USA 109: 14104-9  DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1207036109)

Box #LabelNotespositionmap, strand
Landing Pad Lines1171could be 1771X:3589639?3E, plus
Landing Pad Lines2201moderate PEV2L:2170819839F1, plus
Landing Pad Lines1936moderate PEV2R:230166442A16, minus, piRNA cluster
Landing Pad Lines10weak PEV3L:357944864D14, minus
Landing Pad Lines1310strong PEV2L:2157296139E, plus
Landing Pad Lines217moderate PEV2L:2154080839E, plus
Landing Pad Lines1198weak PEV2L:2009414938B6, plus
Landing Pad Lines #29-14solid red2L:3478435minus
Landing Pad Lines #2Line 6 X chromosomenot mapped
Landing Pad Lines #2Line 5weak PEV3R:27899517100E, plus
Landing Pad Lines #29-19solid red4:328314minus
Landing Pad Lines #29-67solid red3R:5167563plus
Landing Pad Lines #29-100solid red3R:11636272plus
Landing Pad Lines #25-40 3L:16404893minus
Landing Pad Lines #29-20peachnot mapped 
Landing Pad Lines #29-5strong PEV2L: 21572960minus
Landing Pad Lines #25-99solid red3R:15662765plus
Landing Pad Lines #24 3L:16404893plus
Landing Pad Lines #25-33Amoderate PEV2R:7872227plus
Landing Pad Lines #25-4B 3L16404893minus
Landing Pad Lines #29-77 X:633748plus
Landing Pad Lines #25-98solid red3R:17459478plus

As part of our study of the role of the piRNA system in silencing we created some lines carrying a piwi transgene mutated at V30A (Wang & Elgin, 2011, PNAS USA 108: 21164-9  DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1107892109).

Name
w1118; piwi V30A #178.50 B1.2
w1118; Piwi V30A #178.50 A3
w1118; piwi V30A #178.50.C1
w1118; piwi[WT] #RC12G2

Lines based on 1198 (Sentmanat & Elgin, 2012) that show repeat-induced silencing will become available after publication, later in 2019.