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The induction of sex linked recessive lethals by formaldehyde in two strains of Drosophila melanogaster

Heloisa Helena Rodrigues de Andrade; Maria Luiza Reguly

Laboratório de Mutagênese, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43-323, Caixa Postal 15053, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Two strains of Drosophila melanogaster have been previously characterized as resistant (CO3) and sensitive (RC1) to the mutagenic action of chemical and physical agents (Andrade and Marques, Brazil. J. Genet. 3: 251-264, 1980). To evaluate the role played by excision repair in the differential sensitivity of these two strains, we compared their response to the induction of sex-linked recessive lethals (SLRL) by formaldehyde, a mutagen which induces DNA lesions mainly processed by excision repair. There was a significant increase in the frequency of SLRL in both strains. However, the resistant strain had a lower mutation frequency. We conclude that the RC1 strain is defective in the excision-resynthesis repair mechanism.

Keywords: sex linked; recessive lethals; formaldehyde; strains;Drosophila melanogaster

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