Electromagnetic fields in combination with elevated temperatures affect embryogenesis of Drosophila

The effect of electromagnetic fields (50 Hz, 100 mu T magnetic flux density) on Drosophila embryogenesis was tested under conditions of mild thermal stress (temperatures between 34 and 37 degrees C). When exposed to these stressor(s) for 30 min during early embryogenesis those embryos which were subjected to both electromagnetic fields and elevated temperature (costress) showed pattern anomalies more frequently than embryos subjected to thermal stress alone. Furthermore, under costress conditions development was considerably delayed in three different strains tested. The use of transgenic strains with a 1acZ reporter being expressed in segmental patterns facilitated the identification and quantification of the pattern anomalies. (C) 1999 Academic Press.