Radiosensitive Drosophila lines. VIII. The effect of the mus (201)Gl gene of Drosophila melanogaster on the sensitivity of the flies to ultraviolet rays in the imago stage

The effect of UV-light on survival of adult flies of the mutant line mus(2) 201G1 sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) was studied. One day old flies were irradiated by UV-light and the survival was determined depending on the UV dose, the genotype and the sex of irradiated flies. High sensitivity of mutant flies was shown in the imaginal stage when division of somatic cells was absent. Moreover, the differences in sensitivity to UV-light were observed depending on the sex of flies. We suggest that the mutation mus(2)201G1 blocking the excision repair affects undivisional cells of the imaginal stage of Drosophila melanogaster.