INDUCED DOMINANT LETHAL MUTATIONS AND CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS IN GERM CELLS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER WITH TRENIMON, PDMT AND SODIUM MONOFLUOROPHOSPHATE

Rudolf Büchi ¹

¹ Department of Zoology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich

Male and female Drosophila melanogaster with special sex chromosome or special autosome constitutions were fed with the mutagenic chemicals Trenimon (2,3,5-trisethyleneimino-1,4-benzoquinone) and PDMT (1-phenyl-3, 3-dimethyltriazene) and with the toxic substance Na₂PO₃F (sodium monofluorophosphate). The frequency of dominant lethality was recorded among the progeny. The results clearly show that dominant lethality is dose dependent for Trenimon- or PDMT-treated chromosomes in mature sperm and mature oocytes, and an increased amount of chromosomal material per nucleus yields an enhanced lethality. In contrast, a pure toxic effect of Na₂PO ₃F on mature oocytes was demonstrated with one type of female.—With the stocks of Drosophila used, it is possible to distinguish between mutagenic and toxic effects of chemicals on the germ cells. Therefore, dominant lethality can be used as a simple and quick screening test for chemical mutagens.