Worm Breeder's Gazette 9(3): 36
These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.
Genetic analysis in the nematode Caenorhabditis
pends on the ability to induce mutations
using gamma-radiation. Previously a gamma-ray dose-response curve was
obtained for self-fertilizing hermaphrodites (Rosenbluth et al. Mutat.
Res. 110:39-48, 1985). It was found that 1500R induced recessive
lethals in the region balanced by eT1 at a rate of 4.5%. This rate did
not distinguish oocyte sensitivity from that of sperm. We have now
obtained 1500R rates for hermaphrodite oocytes alone and for male
sperm.
{Figure 1}
As can be seen, in general male sperm were more sensitive than
hermaphrodite oocytes. Furthermore the gametes appeared to be more
sensitive in the mature rather than the immature stages. These results
are not surprising since it was known that in Drosophila sperm are
more sensitive than oocytes to gamma-radiation. Therefore
consideration should be given to the gamete type and/or stage
mutagenized when designing screening protocols.
Genetic analysis of the mutations recovered in our studies will
determine if there are qualitative differences between mutations in
the different gametes and stages.
Experiments are in progress which will: l) determine more precisely,
the rates in the different oocyte stages and 2) compare the rate in
mature sperm of hermaphrodites with that in mature sperm of males.