Caffeine toxicity in drosophila strains having different MMS sensitivities.

Larvae of Drosophila melanogaster were fed with caffeine, and the induced lethality was recorded using two different methods. With a wild-type strain a whole dose-response curve was obtained. The two sexes were equally sensitive. Four genetically different strains, showing different MMS sensitivities, were tested with two caffeine doses. The strains differed significantly in their caffeine sensitivity, but there existed no correlation between MMS and caffeine sensitivity.