Sex-linked mutations in Drosophila after exposure to various mixtures of gas atmospheres

Abstract

Drosophila melanogaster males, Canton-Special strain, were exposed to six different gas atmospheres, to determine the sex-linked recessive lethal mutation rate utilizing the Basc technique ( Muller and Oster, 1963). All of these gases were significantly mutagenic to Drosophila. One of the gases, perfluorobutene-2 was studied in mixtures with compressed air, carbon dioxide, oxygen, or nitrogen to determine its effects in combination with various components of air. A gas-mixing device for exposing Drosophila was constructed for the monitoring and mixing of the gases studied. Treatment with perfluorobutene-2 produced a recessive mutation rate of 1.78% as compared to 0.25% for compressed air. This was higher than any mutation rate obtained when perfluorobutene-2 was mixed with oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or compressed air. The quantity of perfluorobutene-2 present in the mixture was the principal factor in contributing to a high mutation rate.