PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S ): Luolin S. Browning 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Genetic Effects of the Space Environment on the 



Reproductive Cells of Drosophila Adults and Pupae, 

 P-1159 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Biosatellite II 



CLASSIFICATION : Animal - Fruit fly ( Drosophila melanogaster ) 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Radiobiology, Genetics, Behavioral science 



OBJECTIVES : To study possible transmissible genetic damage in the fruit fly 

 caused by exposure to the conditions of spaceflight combined with continuous 

 ionizing radiation. 



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 PROTOCOL : Irradiated ( Sr: 1200-1500r) and nonirradiated female adults and 



larvae were compared with ground controls. Recessive lethal, visible 



mutations at specific loci, translocations, loss of dominant Y marker, 



cross-over in males, and nondisjunction were studied. 



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 EQUIPMENT : Experiment package, Sr source. 



RESULTS : Increases in recessive lethal frequency in mature sperm, 

 translocations and losses of dominant markers Y and B from the Y chromosome 

 in pupal stage were found in the irradiated flight specimens. 



CONCLUSIONS : The changes could be attributed to vibration, acceleration, or 

 contamination of the capsule atmosphere with formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, and 

 ethylene. Therefore, there is no evidence that weightlessness, acting either 

 alone or in combination, can produce genetic effects, but neither can it be 

 excluded as an interacting agent with other factors. 



PUBLICATIONS : 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 



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