BUTHIONINE SULFOXIMINE MEDIATED ENHANCEMENT OF GAMMA-RADIATION INDUCED MUTATION FREQUENCY IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

Experiments were carried out to investigate whether or not depletion of the glutathione (GSH) level in Drosophila melanogaster larvae with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) treatment can result in the modulation of the frequency of sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) mutations induced by gamma-radiation. Third instar larvae were fed on BSO for 24 h before exposure to 10 Gy gamma-radiation. Immediately after this the larvae were divided into two batches, which were used for determining the GSH level and the induction of SLRL mutations respectively. The results obtained suggest that the depletion of the GSH level with BSO can lead to an enhancement in the frequency of SLRL mutations (significant at the 5% level). In a subsequent experiment in which adult Drosophila melanogaster male flies were fed on BSO for 72 h before irradiation, a significant increase was observed in the incidence of SLRL mutations.