Controlling P element insertional mutagenesis

Two new methods for insertional mutagenesis in Drosophila are now available. They are based on the ability to control experimentally the number of stable P element insertions per mutagenized strain. One method produces about 10 insertions per genome and has the potential to replace hybrid dysgenesis as a means for cloning genes by transposon tagging. The other mobilizes elements less frequently, producing strains containing a single P element that can be correlated with any resulting mutant phenotype. A library of single-element strains is currently being assembled and will be a valuable resource for Drosophila molecular genetics.