The effect of oxygen on the frequency of somatic recombination in Drosophila melanogaster

The influence of oxygen on the frequency of somatic recombination in the yellow singed system on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster was studied under a variety of experimental conditions. Flies raised from egg to adult in atmospheres containing 70-90% oxygen were found to have significantly more mosaic spots on their abdominal tergites than were observed in flies which developed in air. First instar larvae X-rayed in from 0 to 100% oxygen demonstrated the existence of an oxygen effect for somatic recombination in the cells which form the abdominal hypoderm. The mosaic spot counts, beginning with the lowest numbers which were found in flies X-rayed in nitrogen, increased rapidly with rising oxygen tensions until the percentage in air was reached, then leveled off at the higher concentrations. Post-treatment with nitrogen of larvae X-rayed in air or oxygen created a substantially higher number of mosaic spots than were found when larvae, after being similarly irradiated, were instead placed into air or oxygen.