THE EFFECTS OF GAMMA RADIATION AND APHOLATE ON THE REPRODUCTIVE TISSUES OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER MEIGEN
Adult flies were treated with apholate or gamma rays to determine their effects on reproductive tissues. Male and female flies 3 to 4 days old were exposed to 8 or 16 Kr of Co/sup 60/ radiation at a rate of approximates 320 r/min or were fed 0.25 or 1% apholate in the diet. Ovaries and testes were removed at daily intervals for microscopic examination. With the higher doses of either treatment, cessation of sperm production occurred in the anterior end of the testes after the 8th day, with a general necrosis of the germinal epithelium in that area. The necrosis progressed until the 19th day when few sperm were observed in the testes of treated males. The ovaries from treated females were reduced in size, andd with the high dose of each treatment this noticeable change occurred two days following treatment and became more prominent until the 10th day when very little ovariand tissue remained. Microscopic examination of Feulgen-treated ovarioles revealed very small Feulgen-positive clumps of chromatin, which indicated that complete breakdown of the nurse cells, oocytes, and follicle cells had occurred. Untreated females mated to males either fed 1% apholate or exposed to 16 Kr deposited a large number of eggs, none of which hatched. Since fertilization precludes egg laying in D. melanogaster, it was evident from the egg production data and microscopic examination that sperm transfer was not halted by the levels of either treatment used. Some adults emerged from eggs deposited by untreated females mated to males fed 0.25% apholate or exposed to 8-Kr radiation, indicating that the treatments caused development of a lethal factor in some of the sperm which fertilized eggs. No adults emerged from eggs fertilized by males treated with high doses of either treatment which induced lethality in all sperm which fertilized eggs. No eggs were deposited from females irradiated with 16 Kr and mated to untreated males snd none were deposited after the 2nd day from females fed 1% apholate and mated to untreated males. No adults emerged from the few eggs deposited, corroborating the histopathological investigation, which showed pycnosis and Feulgen-positive chromatin clumps and ovariand atrophy soon after treatment. Females fed 0.25% apholate or exposed to 8 Kr andd mated to untreated males produced few eggs but some adults emerged. (BBB)
- Research Organization:
- Dept. of Agriculture, Beltsville, Md.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-001400
- OSTI ID:
- 4151240
- Journal Information:
- J. Insect Pathol., Vol. Vol: 5; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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