Wirkungen von L-glutaminsäure auf grösse und puff-muster der Larvalen Speicheldrüsenchromosomen von Drosophila melanogaster in vivo

The ratio DNA: RNA in the dry substance of Drosophila melanogaster larvae changes when L-glutamic acid is added to the substratum. The number of cells in the salivary glands is not affected (Fahrig et al., 1967). The present paper deals with the effect of this altered ratio on the puffing pattern of the salivary gland chromosomes.

Compared to controls of the same game age, glutamic acid fed prepupae younger than 15 min have five additional puffs. In all, 98 pairs of homologous puffs were studied. In 54 of these, size differences were tested statistically; in the glutamic acid series, 20 puffs were larger and 18 smaller than in the controls whereas 16 had the same size. Size reduction was stronger in the more prominent puffs. In prepupae reared at lower temperatures, chromosomes were significantly longer. Glutamic acid causes a significant increase in chromosome width. Combined measurements of both effects were made by determining the surface area of tested segments. Lowering the temperature adds higher size classes, whereas addition of glutamic acid causes a significant shift of the distributional peak towards the higher size classes. This excludes the possibility of an additional replication cycle. In salivary glands of glutamic acid fed prepupae the majority of nuclei have reached the highest degree of polyteny, which in controls is never found at 25° C but sometimes at 18° C. The agent causing both additional puffing and enhanced growth is effective only via the alimentary tract of the larva.