Ranz JM, Casals F, Ruiz A.

Genome Res. 2001 Feb;11(2):230-9. doi:10.1101/gr.162901

How malleable is the eukaryotic genome? Extreme rate of chromosomal rearrangement in the genus Drosophila.

186 DNA probes on Muller element E (density: 1 / 175 kbp in D. mel and 1 / 219 in D. rep) for comparing gene order in D. repleta and D. melanogaster. Random distribution of breakpoints. “177.07 (±28.88) breakpoints or 89 (±14) paracentric inversions fixed in this chromosomal element between D. melanogaster and D. repleta.” “Application of [a] ML method [...] yielded an estimate of 228 (±28) fixed breakpoints, that is, 114 ± 14 fixed inversions.” “We estimate an evolution rate of 0.9–1.4 chromosomal inversions fixed per million years.” “A significant correlation of gene order was found.” “If large inversions have a low probability of fixation because of their fertility effects (Navarro et al. 1997), which seems to be the case (Cáceres et al. 1997), then the randomization of gene order would proceed at a slower rate than is implied in Figure 2.”