Successful transformation of the housefly, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) with the transposable element, mariner

An active mariner transposable element (Mos1) was introduced into embryos of the housefly, Musca domestica. Twenty-six single G(0) males were crossed with normal virgin females. PCR assays using the Mos1 specific primer were carried out in the G(1) generations, and DNA amplification was obtained in 4 lines (4/26). The Mos1 element segregated in a Mendelian fashion from G(4) to G(5). In addition, PCR amplifications using two primer sets of the progeny in later generations indicated that the Mos1 was integrated into the germlines of the housefly. These results demonstrate that mariner can serve as a germline transformation vector in the housefly and PCR detection is useful for species that lack a proper marker system.