The Mutagenic Activity of Dyes in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Using the Muller-5 method, a number of basic dyes were tested for ability to produce sex-linked, recessive lethals in D. melanogaster. The dyes were added at 0.1% concn. to standard food medium. The most active was found to be pyronin B (tetra-ethyl pyronin). In vitro expts. on the reactions of basic dyes with nucleic acids suggest that the mutagenic activity of a dye is related, among other things, to its affinity for unpolymerized nucleic acid.