Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of cyanide and azide on the mutagenic activity of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid heliotrine inDrosophila melanogaster

  • Published:
Zeitschrift für Vererbungslehre Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Neither cyanide nor azide were found to increase the spontaneous sex-linked lethal frequency or the chromosome breakage frequency inDrosophila. However, both inhibitors produced a slight increase in the heliotrine induced sex-linked lethal and chromosome breakage frequencies in all broods except for the possible exception of the first, the increase for the combined brood totals being statistically significant. Possible mechanisms underlying the enhancing effects of both cyanide and azide are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Auerbach, C.: The study of chemical mutagens by brood pattern analysis and by the scoring of ratios between visible and lethal mutations. Z. indukt. Abstamm.-u. Vererb.-Lehre88, 619 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  • Avanzi, S.: Chromosome breakage by pyrrolizidine alkaloids and modification of the effect by cysteine. Caryologia14, 251 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. M.: Mutagenic activity of the alkaloid heliotrine inDrosophila. Nature (Lond.)183, 731 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  • Culvenor, C. C., A. T. Dann andA. T. Dick: Alkylation as the mechanism by which the hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids act on cell nuclei. Nature (Lond.)195, 570 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kihlman, B. A.: Oxygen and the production of chromosome aberrations by chemicals and X-rays. Hereditas (Lund.)41, 384 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Biochemical aspects of chromosome breakage. Advant. Genet.10, 1 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  • Read, J.: Radiation biology ofVicia faba in relation to the general problem, p. 174. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneiderman, H. A., M. Ketchel andC. M. Williams: The physiology of insect diapause. VI. Effects of temperature, oxygen tension, and metabolic inhibitors onin vitro spermatogenesis in theCecropia silkworm. Biol. Bull.105, 188 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobels, F. H.: The influence of catalase inhibitors on the rate of X-ray induced mutations inDrosophila melanogaster. Proc. 1st. int. Photobiol. Congr. Amsterdam 1954, p. 332.

  • Sobels, F. H.: Dose rate, cyanide and some other factors influencing repair of mutational damage inDrosophila. Abh. dtsch. Akad. Wiss. Berl. Nr 1. Kl. Med., 115 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Swanson, G. P., andT. Merz: Factors influencing the effect of β-propiolactone on chromosomes ofVicia faba. Science129, 1364 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, S., andH. E. Luippold: Metabolism and chromosome break rejoining. Science122, 231 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanders, A. F.: Relative time of eclosion ofDrosophila females heterozygous for sex-linked recessive lethals. Amer. Naturalist92, 189 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, (Australien)

    N. G. Brink

Authors
  1. N. G. Brink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brink, N.G. The effect of cyanide and azide on the mutagenic activity of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid heliotrine inDrosophila melanogaster . Zeitschrift für Vererbungslehre 94, 331–335 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00897592

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00897592

Keywords

Search

Navigation