DNA sequence analysis of X-ray induced Adh null mutations in Drosophila melanogaster

The mutational spectrum for 28 X-ray induced mutations and 2 spontaneous mutations, previously determined by genetic and cytogenetic methods, consisted of 20 multilocus deficiencies (19 induced and 1 spontaneous) and 10 intragenic mutations (9 induced and 1 spontaneous). One of the X-ray induced intragenic mutations was lost, and another was determined to be a recombinant with the allele used in the recovery scheme. The DNA sequence of two X-ray induced intragenic mutations has been published. This paper reports the results of DNA sequence analysis of the remaining intragenic mutations and a summary of the X-ray induced mutational spectrum. Only one of the X-ray induced mutations is a single base change, a C to G transversion (AdhnLA80). Therefore, the mutational spectrum of X-ray induced mutations consists predominantly of deletions that are observed to range in size from two base pairs to deletions of a large number of loci as determined by genetic complementation analysis. The combination of DNA sequence analysis with genetic complementation analysis shows a continuous distribution in size of deletions rather than two different types of mutations consisting of deletions and "point mutations." Sequencing is shown to be essential for detecting intragenic deletions. Of particular importance for future studies is the observation that all of the intragenic deletions consist of a direct repeat adjacent to the break-point with one of the repeats deleted.