The nature of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mutations at the white locus of Drosophila melanogaster.
The molecular basis of 36 mutations induced by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) at the white locus of Drosophila melanogaster was analyzed. Blot-hybridization showed that only two of them are rearrangements. One is a 200-bp deletion and the second mutant is an insertion of about 10 kb. The latter might be of spontaneous origin. 34 mutants did not show a detectable alteration of the normal restriction enzyme profile. 21 mutants were also analyzed by Northern blot-hybridization. Normal or nearly normal levels of white mRNA were observed in 8 pigmented and 7 non-pigmented mutants. In 5 other non-pigmented mutants a strong reduction of the amount of mature white mRNA was seen. In one of the pigmented mutants, hybridization occurred with 2 RNAs. When taken together, these results strongly indicate that most of the ENU-induced mutations are caused by base-pair changes or rearrangements smaller than 50-100 bp.
Pastink
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Department of Radiation Genetics and Chemical Mutagenesis, State University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
Vreeken
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Vogel
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D000818:Animals; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005123:Eye; D005796:Genes; D009154:Mutation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea