Abstract
Abstract Captan, a fungicide, was tested for mutagenicity and toxicity in adult males of Drosophila melanogaster. A potent mutagen, the alkylating agent Trenimon, was used as a positive control. Captan was applied to the flies in two different ways and in various solvents. Toxicity was estimated from the ratios of induced mortality and sterility of the treated males. Mutagenicity was determined from the frequencies of sex-linked recessive lethals in pre- and post-meiotic germ cell stages scored with the Basc method. Trenimon was found to be highly mutagenic at a non-toxic concentration. Captan, however, was not mutagenic either at low, non-toxic or at high, toxic concentrations. Even in combination with the solvent dimethyl sulfoxide Captan showed no mutagenicity. Captan is also not mutagenic in maize and mice as shown by various authors. In contrast to this, mutagenic activity of Captan has been demonstrated in the host-mediated assay, Neurospora, yeast, different tissue cultures and bacteria. To explain the discrepancy between our results and those found in other organisms we assume that, in Drosophila, Captan is inactivated before it reaches the germ cells.
Published Version
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