[Phenocopying action of ether on mn d/SM5-strain Drosophila embryos].

Lower sensitivity of the mn d/SM5 strain flies to methyl ether as against the Canton-S flies is established as regarded to induction of bithorax (bx) phenocopies. It is shown that there are no considerable differences in frequencies of bx-phenocopies, abdomen anomalies and ether-induced embryo death between mn d/mn d and mn d/SM5 individuals. It indicates that these parameters are determined by the genotype of the strain on the whole rather than by mn, d, SM5 mutations. Phenocopies of lethal mutations of the pair-rule, Notch, Abnormal abdomen type are established to arise in embryos of both studied strains. In addition disturbances of two other classes are observed among dead embryos of the mn d/SM5 strain. One of them is probably characteristic of SM5/SM5 individuals, the other is phenocopies of mutations disturbing the segment polarity.