Microwave influence on the position effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster Meig.

  • L. D. Dyka
  • V. Yu. Strashnyuk

Abstract

Aim. The purpose of investigation was to study the effect of microwave irradiation of different intensity on the manifestation of the position effect variegation (PEV) in Drosophila melanogaster Meig. Methods. Experiments were carried out on mutant strain In(1)wm4, y. Microwave radiation with frequency 36.64 GHz and power density 0.01; 0.1 and 1 W/m2, was used. Exposure to microwaves was applied in early embryogenesis after 2-hour oviposition. Exposure time was 30 sec. PEV was examined in the irradiated and non-irradiated (control) flies. Results. In females, microwave irradiation at a power density of 1 W/m2 led to an enhance in the inactivation of the white+ gene transferred into a vicinity of pericentric heterochromatin in the X-chromosome. No effect was detected by irradiation intensity of 0.01 and 0.1 W/m2. In males, there was a suppression of genetic inactivation at a power density of 0.01 W/m2. Conclusions. Microwave irradiation can affect the size of heterochromatin blocks that cause gene silencing in PEV. The effect depends on the sex and intensity of the radiation.

Keywords: Drosophila melanogaster Meig., position effect variegation, heterochromatin, gene silencing, non-ionising radiation.

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