Somatic mutation and recombination test in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

A novel test system for the detection of mutagenic and recombinogenic activity of chemicals is described in detail. Drosophila melanogaster larvae trans-heterozygous for the mutations multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare (flr) are exposed to the test compounds for various periods of time ranging from 96 hr to 1 hr. Induced mutations are detected as single mosaic spots on the wing blade of surviving adults that show either the multiple wing hairs or flare phenotype. Induced recombination leads to mwh and flr twin spots and also to a certain extent, to mwh single spots. Recording of the frequency and the size of the different spots allows for a quantitative determination of the mutagenic and recombinogenic effects. This and earlier studies with a small set of well-known mutagens indicate that the test detects monofunctional and polyfunctional alkylating agents (ethyl methanesulfonate, diepoxybutane, mitomycin C, Trenimon), mutagens forming large adducts (aflatoxin B1), DNA breaking agents (bleomycin), intercalating agents (5-aminoacridine, ICR-170), spindle poisons (vinblastine), and antimetabolites (methotrexate). In addition, the test detects mutagens unstable in aqueous solution (beta-propiolactone), gaseous mutagens (1,2-dibromoethane), as well as promutagens needing various pathways of metabolic activation (aflatoxin B1, diethylnitrosamine, dimethylnitrosamine, mitomycin C, and procarbazine). The rapidity and ease of performance as well as the low costs of the test necessitate a high priority for validation of this promising Drosophila short-term test.

Antigenotoxic effects of Mandevilla velutina (Gentianales, Apocynaceae) crude extract on cyclophosphamide-induced micronuclei in Swiss mice and urethane-induced somatic mutation and recombination in Drosophila melanogaster

“…In contrast, after chronic treatment with urethane alone or urethane plus extract there was a predominance of small single spots, with the frequency of larger spots decreasing with increasing spot size. These data are in line with those reported with bleomycin, diethylnitrosamine and procarbazine (Graf et al, 1984), cyclophosphamide (Spanó et al, 2001) and a phytotherapeutic extract from Stryphnodendron adstringes (Mart.) Coville (Sousa et al, 2003).…”

“…The different types of spots are due to different genotoxic mechanisms, i.e., mutational events (deletions, point mutation, specific types of chromosome aberrations, etc. ), mitotic recombination or, sometimes, monosomy (Graf et al, 1984;Guzmán-Rincón and Graf, 1995).…”

“…The micronucleus assay serves to detect the genotoxicity of chemicals through their ability to induce the formation of small membrane-bound DNA fragments (Ouanes et al, 2003), while SMART is a short-term in vivo assay for the detection of mutation, recombination, chromosome damage and/or aneugenic effects in somatic cells of D. melanogaster (Graf et al, 1984).…”

Anti‐inflammatory and anti‐insulin resistance activities of aqueous extract from Anoectochilus burmannicus

“…The somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) was initially demonstrated by Graf et al., (1984). Briefly, males of mwh/mwh and females of ORR;flr 3 /In(3LR) TM3, ri p p sep l(3)89Aa bx 34e e Bd S , Ser were mated to produce transheterozygous larvae ( mwh flr + /mwh TM3 ).…”

Alternative methods to evaluate the protective ability of sunscreen against photo-genotoxicity

“…Somatic cell mutation was detected by counting spots possessing mutant wing-hairs [14,15]. Statistical analysis was performed according to Frei and Würgler [16] and Kastenbaum and Bowman [17].…”