Endoreduplication in Drosophila melanogaster progeny after exposure to acute γ-irradiation

Abstract

The purpose of investigation was to study the effect of acute {gamma}-irradiation of parent adults on the endoreduplication in Drosophila melanogaster progeny. As a material used Oregon-R strain. Virgin females and males of Drosophila adults at the age of 3 days were exposed at the doses of 8, 16 and 25 Gy. Giant chromosomes were studied at late 3rd instar larvae by cytomorphometric method. The average polyteny in males increased at the dose of 8 Gy by 10.6%, at the dose of 25 Gy by 7.4%, and did not change at the dose of 16 Gy. In females, the polyteny did not differ from the control value irrespective of the irradiation dose. The statistical impact power of sex on polyteny was 4,9%, the radiation impact was 26,8%. The enhancement of endoruplication is considered as a consequence of an increasing selection pressure after irradiation.