The Action of Radioactive Phosphorus in Drosophila

Abstract

Pairs of mature flies, either Sturtevant strain of D. virilis or Muller-5 strain of D. melanogaster, were placed in shell vials with standard culture medium containing 3.2 ml. of radioactive H3PO4 with an activity of 1.54 mc./ml.in each 300 ml. of medium. 25 vials of each sp. were used., and after 12 days on the medium the distr. of radioactive P in the tissues of the progeny was detd. The hatch of the D. melanogaster was normal; all 25 vials of D. virilis were fertile and produced avg. nos. of pupae, but only 39 females and 25 males hatched, all imagines being morphologically abnormal. Of these, 21 females and 17 males survived to be tested for fertility when crossed with controls; only 7 females were fertile. D. melanogaster flies were not tested for mutations; 78 of 130 females and 59 of 109 males were fertile and produced normal nos. of prqgeny. The mutations occurring in D. virilis are descr.