Linear relationship between lethal mutation yield and intake of ethyl methanesulfonate in Drosophila melanogaster

Males of Drosophila melanogaster were fed sucrose solutions containing various concentrations of EMS (from 0.25 to 10 mM) for 24 hr. To measure the intake of an EMS solution, 3H-labeled sucrose was added to the feeding solution, and the 3H activity inside the flies was used as a measure for the intake volume of EMS solution. Each absorbed dose of EMS was estimated from the intake volume of an EMS solution multiplied by its EMS concentration in the feeding solution in a way similar to that described in a previous report [Ayaki et al, 1984]. The relationship between the estimated absorbed dose and the exposure concentration was almost linear in a low concentration range but became concave with a downward curvature in a high concentration range. The dose-response relationship between the frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals and the estimated absorbed dose showed no deviation from linearity at all the five absorbed doses tested. It may be concluded that the absorbed doses thus estimated were very close to true absorbed doses, indicating the usefulness of the present method for dosimetry of chemicals to be given to flies.