Aberrations induced in chromosomes of somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster irradiated in C-metaphase.

Experiments conducted on the X irradiation of neural ganglia of Drosophila melanogaster are described. The ganglia were placed in saline containing colchicine. After two hours, they were irradiated and then samples were fixed at 5,15,25,35 minutes from the beginning of irradiation. The results obtained show that the aberration level increases with time subsequent to fixing. This increase takes place first for chromatid deletions and then for isochromatid deletions and chromatid exchanges. Gaps and subchromatid exchanges do not, on the contrary, show any increase with time. We did not observe a difference in radiosensitivity between the sexes. Some hypotheses are put forth in an attempt to explain these results.