A comparison of genetic changes induced by a monofunctional and a polyfunctional alkylating agent in Drosophila melanogaster

Acridine Orange Mutagenesis in Silkworm

“…In Drosophila, mutants induced by acridine dyes did not include gross chromosomal changes (Carlson et al 1967). It has been also reported that a monof unctional quinacrine mustard ICR-170 (previously ICR-100), carcinostatic compound having an acridine ring, was mutagenic on post-meiotic male germ-cells (Browning and Altenburg 1962;Carlson and Oster 1962;Snyder and Oster 1964;Carlson et al 1967) as in Salmonella (Ames and Whitfield 1966). As can be seen in the chemical structure of ICR-170 ( Fig.…”

“…According to Streisinger et al (1966) , they stated that acridine-ring insertion would be done during DNA replication or synthesis.…”

“…Genetic analysis of acridine dyeinduced mutations that most of mutants recovered were deletions or insertion of single base-pairs of DNA (Streisinger et al 1966) . An another significant biological action noted for acridine dyes is light-induced enhancement (or photodynamic effect) of mutagenesis in phage (Ritchie 1964) or in yeast (Ito et al 1963), as well as of lethality in microorganisms (e. g. Freese 1963).…”

“…1) was not effective in inducing mutations in mature sperm of Drosophila. Though there is no reason to conclude that ICR-170 mutagenesis in Drosophila does not involve frame shift type mutations, it is also probable that the chemical acts as an alkylating agent (Snyder and Oster 1964).…”

“…The frequency of whole-body and fractional-body mutation productions in Fl eggs after acridine orange (0.5 mg/capita) injection in late pupae of silkworm base pairs in DNA (or the frame shift mutations) through probably replication or recombination procedures (Lerman 1964 ;Streisinger et al 1966) , and 2) acridine dyes could be stacking with DNA molecules (or the stacking effect) and these complexes would be unstabilized their molecular state especially under light condition (or the photodynamic effect ) leading to mutations such as copy errors as found on lethal effects in microorganisms (e, g. Freese 1963) or 3) simultaneous effects of these two mechanisms . The preponderance of mosaic mutants suggests that the AO in eggs ( or oocytes ) may act as a mutagen on nuclei during meiotic and cleavage divisions and the final mutational events would be fixed by a delayed effect within the first few divisions of the zygotes after syngamy if the intercalation hypothesis is operated.…”