Using P element-mediated mutagenesis we have isolated 20 X-linked lethal mutations, representing at least 14 complementation groups, which exhibit melanotic tumor phenotypes. We present the systematic analysis of this interesting group of lethal mutations that were selected for their visible melanotic or immune response. The lethal and melanotic tumor phenotypes of each lethal(1) aberrant immune response (air) mutation are pleiotropic effects of single genetic lesions. Lethality occurs throughout the larval and early pupal periods of development and larval development is extended in some air mutants. The air mutant lethal syndromes include abnormalities associated with the brain, haematopoietic organs, gut, salivary glands, ring glands, and imaginal discs. Additional characterization of the melanotic tumor mutations Tuml and tu(1)Szts have indicated that the melanotic tumor phenotype is similar to that observed in the air mutants. These studies have led to the proposal that two distinct classes of melanotic tumor mutations exist. Class 1 includes mutants in which melanotic tumors result from "autoimmune responses" or the response of an apparently normal immune system to the presence of abnormal target tissues. The Class 2 mutants display obvious defects in the haematopoietic organs or haemocytes, manifested as overgrowth, and the resulting aberrant immune system behavior may contribute to melanotic tumor formation.

There were significant variations in how many caches of buried Indian rice grass (Oryzopsis hymenoides) seeds were found by Dipodomys microps, Dipodomys ordii, Microdipodops megacephalus, Perognuthus formosus, Perognathus longimembris, Perognathus parvus, Peromyscus maniculatus, and Reithrodonotomys megalotis. Success ranged from that of P. manicuiatus and R. megalotis, that failed to find any buried seeds in dry sand, to P. formosus, that found 57.5% of the seeds buried at 0.6 cm, to M. megacephalus that found 50% buried 1.3 cm deep. Peromyscus maniculatus and P. parvus found more buried seeds as The authors are graduate student and professor of

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We have cloned from the Oregon R strain of Drosophila melanogaster a 240 kb segment of DNA that contains the cut (ct) locus, and characterized the region for the presence of repetitive elements. Within this region at least five copies of the suffix element were detected, as well as several putatively novel mobile elements. A number of mutations obtained from the unstable ctMR2 strain and its derivatives were mapped within the cut locus. Comparison between parental and daughter strains indicates that frequently two or more independent transposition events involving the cut locus occur simultaneously within a single germ cell, thus providing a molecular basis for the transposition explosion phenomenon.

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