The white-ivory somatic mutation test in Drosophila. The effects of larval age, increasing the number of copies of wi and the response to some reference mutagens.
The white-ivory somatic mutation test is based on reversion of the X-linked, recessive eye-colour mutation white-ivory to wild-type. Somatic reversion of white-ivory leads to clones of red facets in the white-ivory eyes of eclosing adult flies. The alkylating agents MMS, EMS and ENU and the mutagen DEB all induce high levels of white-ivory reversion. The response of different larval instars has been investigated and dose-response data for MMS and EMS is reported. Strains with additional copies of the white-ivory mutation are more sensitive to reversion but the increase in reversion is not as high as might be expected given the number of white-ivory mutations present. Females, having twice the number of white-ivory copies, tend to show higher levels of reversion than males of the same strain.
Department of Biological Sciences, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Devon, Great Britain.
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D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004330:Drosophila / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
D009153:Mutagens