Somatic eye mutation in Drosophila melanogaster as a short-term test for mutagens and carcinogens

Abstract

Six mutagenic and/or carcinogenic agents were tested for their ability to cause somatic eye mutation (red sectors on a yellow eye) in Drosophila melanogaster. Results were analysed by the chi-squared method and by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample (non-parametric) test. Methyl methanesulphonate, cyclophosphamide, acriflavine and procarbazine were active, whereas acetamide and tetracycline failed to elicit a significant response. Thus, relative to other mutagenicity assays, this somatic system seemed to possess no special ability to correctly identify carcinogens because both acriflavine and acetamide were misidentified on a carcinogenicity basis. However, it could be a suitable alternative to the recessive lethal test for mutation, because of its technical simplicity and rapidity, subject to an increase in the size of the data base.

further studies with the somatic white‐ivory system of Drosophila melanogaster: Genotoxicity testing of ten carcinogens

“…To assess the sensitivity of the ( w~)~ strain with the ten carcinogens tested, we can compare the results obtained here with those found in other Drosophila somatic mutation assays as the zeste-white (z-w) and the whitelwhite+ (w/w+) systems, both detecting somatic mutation in eyes, and in the wing spot test (mwhlflr), detecting somatic mutation in the blade wings. Thus, the negative results obtained in the ( w ' )~ strain, after acetamide treatments, agree with those recently reported in the w/w+ system by Vogel and Nivard [1993]; nevertheless, a weak mutagenic response was obtained in the zeste-white eye somatic mutation test [Mitchell et al, 1981;Batiste-Alentorn et al, 1991al and in the rnwhlflr test [Batiste-Alentorn et al, 1991bl. Acrylamide gave marginally positive results without an exposure-response relationship. These data agree with those recently obtained with the other three somatic mutation assays [Batiste-Alentorn et al, 1991a,b;Vogel and Nivard, 19931.…”

“…The promutagen cyclophosphamide is a very strong inducer of somatic mutation reversion. This response is similar to those observed in the z-w system [Mitchell et al, 1981;Batiste-Alentom et al, 1991a1, in the mwhl'r test [Grafet al, 1989Batiste-Alentorn et al, 1991b1, andin the w/w+ system [Vogel and Nivard, 19931. The weak positive response induced by diethylstilbestrol agrees with the results previously obtained by us in the z-w Frei and Wurgler (1988); m = 2. a+, positive; i, inconclusive; -, negative.…”

Dyes in aquaculture and reference points for action

“…The mutagenic potential of acriflavine was also reported in algae (Singh and Dikshit, 1976;Dorthu et al, 1992) and Drosophila melanogaster (Mitchell et al, 1981;Alba et al, 1983;Xamena et al, 1984).…”

"In different shades of purple": Effects of different concentrations of commercial black chokeberry fruit extract [Aronia melanocarpa (Michx) Elliott] on fitness components and wing morphology of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830

“…It is also an apoptosis inducer, as well as an alkylating agent. In D. melanogaster, somatic and sex-linked recessive lethal mutations were induced after exposure of larvae or adults to MMS in their food (Mitchell et al, 1981).…”