The Effect of S, 2-Aminoethylisothiuronium Bromide Hydrobromide (AET) on the Induction of Dominant and Sex-Linked Recessive Lethals in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

A comparison of the effects of injections of S,2-aminoethylisothiuronium Br.HBr(AET) and saline (as a control) prior to X-ray exposure (4000 r) indicates that AET (an effective agent in preventing acute radiation lethality in mammals) enhances the genetic effect of radiation. This effect was demonstrated for both genetic effects studied. Furthermore it was shown that AET alone did not behave as a mutagen. The difference in behavior of AET on radiation induced physiological death in mammals and genetic lethality in Drosophila may reside in the nature of the biological mechanism, the inherent differences in the organisms, or in the somewhat greater radiation dose used in the Drosophila experiments.