Mutagenesis at Five Pteridine Pathway Loci In Drosophila melanogaster: Genetic and Biochemical Characterization

• Main Authors: Millán J.M., Nájera C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: De Gruyter 1993-08-01
• Series: Pteridines
• Subjects: mutagenesis; eye color mutants; pteridines; drosophila melanogaster
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/pteridines.1993.4.3.131

In order to carry out a genetic and biochemical analysis of pteridin pathway eye colour loci, sixteen strains of five eye colour mutants of Drosophila melanogaster (2 dke, 7 sf. 3 se, 3 Hnr and 1 bw) from natural populations were used. Four EMS mutagenesis experiments were carried out to produce induced mutants of the same loci. 54 mutants (mosaics and completes) were obtained but only 7 (4 sf, 1 bw, 1 Hnr and I dke) could be isolated. The 40.48% of the mutations were mosaics. The percentage of mutants appeared during the four first days (85.19%) was significatively higher to the percentage of mutants appeared during the four following (14.18%). Viabilities of EMS-induced mutants were similar to that of the natural ones. For the induced mutants viability at 25°C was higher than at 16°C and heterozygotes had a higher Viability than mutant homozygotes. The low mutagenesis frequencies and the lack of some metabolites for Hnr and se mutants suggest an important role of these mutants in the pteridine pathway.