Biomaterial Database

Spontaneous and ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mutations controlling viability in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Recessive lethal mutations. 1977

O Ohnishi

The efficiency of the adult feeding method for EMS treatment in Drosophila melanogaster was studied by measuring the frequency of induced recessive lethals on the second chromosome. The treatment was most effective when mature spermatozoa or spermatids were treated and was much less effective on earlier stages. The number of mutations induced was proportional to the concentration except at the highest doses. The recessive lethal rate was estimated to be about 0.012 per second chromosome per 10(-4) M. In addition, about 0.004-0.005 recessive lethals per 10(-4) M were found in a later generation in chromosomes that had not shown the lethal effect in the previous generation. When the experiments are done in a consistent manner and gametes treated as mature sperm or spermatids are sampled, the results are highly reproducible. However, modifications of the procedure, such as starvation before EMS treatment, can considerably alter the effectiveness of the mutagen.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008698	Mesylates	Organic salts or esters of methanesulfonic acid.	Mesilate,Methanesulfonates,Mesilates,Mesylate,Methylenesulfonates
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D011336	Probability	The study of chance processes or the relative frequency characterizing a chance process.	Probabilities
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D005020	Ethyl Methanesulfonate	An antineoplastic agent with alkylating properties. It also acts as a mutagen by damaging DNA and is used experimentally for that effect.	Ethylmethane Sulfonate,Ethyl Mesilate,Ethyl Mesylate,Ethylmesilate,Ethylmesylate,Mesilate, Ethyl,Mesylate, Ethyl,Methanesulfonate, Ethyl,Sulfonate, Ethylmethane
D005260	Female		Females
D005804	Genes, Lethal	Genes whose loss of function or gain of function MUTATION leads to the death of the carrier prior to maturity. They may be essential genes (GENES, ESSENTIAL) required for viability, or genes which cause a block of function of an essential gene at a time when the essential gene function is required for viability.	Alleles, Lethal,Allele, Lethal,Gene, Lethal,Lethal Allele,Lethal Alleles,Lethal Gene,Lethal Genes
D005808	Genes, Recessive	Genes that influence the PHENOTYPE only in the homozygous state.	Conditions, Recessive Genetic,Genetic Conditions, Recessive,Recessive Genetic Conditions,Condition, Recessive Genetic,Gene, Recessive,Genetic Condition, Recessive,Recessive Gene,Recessive Genes,Recessive Genetic Condition
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia