Date of Award:

5-1-1983

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Biology

Department name when degree awarded

Life Sciences:Biology

Committee Chair(s)

John R. Simmons

Committee

John R. Simmons

Committee

J. T. Bowman

Committee

R. V. Canfield

Abstract

The study was conducted to induce and characterize cold-sensitive lethal mutations in the Basc stock of Drosophila melanogaster and then to identify the effective lethal phase (LP) and temperature-sensitive period (TSP) for the mutants. Ethyl methanesulfonate was used as the mutagenic agent in this study. Basc EMS-treated males were mated to virgin Canton-S females. The progeny from their mating was individually mated and tested for lethality at 18°C and then for viability at 25°C. The stable stocks obtained were then retested for lethality at 18°C. Two different sex-linked, recessive, cold-sensitive lethal mutants were obtained out of 884 individually tested F1 males. The LP and TSP for both stocks were determined and described. The stocks obtained in this study will be useful in such applications as virginizing methods, selective elimination of heterozygotes, and fine structure studies. Due to the variability and instability of cold-sensitive stocks, care should be taken in using such stocks in such studies.

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