Sensitivity of Drosophila melanogaster to low concentrations of gaseous mutagens. II. Chronic exposures
Kale, P.G.; Baum, J.W.
Mutation Research 68(1): 59-68
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0027-5107 PMID: 114827 Document Number: 144486
Sex-linked recessive lethal mutations were induced in D. melanogaster males by gaseous 1,2-dibromoethane at concentrations ranging from 0.2-2 ppm. Significant numbers of mutations were induced at all these concentrations. Pronounced germ-cell sensitivity differences were observed. For low exposures, spermatids and spermatocytes were about 10-20 times more sensitive than spermatozoa. The dose-effect relation was linear below 60 ppm/h for the 3 cell types. At higher exposures, sterility prevented mutation detection in spermatocytes and in spermatogonia. The lowest effective exposure for spermatozoa was 18 ppm/h (0.25 ppm for 72 h). In spermatids, the lowest exposure tested, 2.3 ppm/h (0.2 ppm for 11 h) induced 4 times the spontaneous mutation rate. Using prolonged exposure periods one may be able to detect concentrations in the range of parts per billion. Drosophila appars suitable as a system for detecting very low concentrations of gaseous mutagens in industrial, agricultural and environmental atmospheres.