Electron microscope autoradiographic study on transcriptional activity of Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes

Incorporation of ³H-uridine into three chromosome regions 21D, 100AB, 7EF showing no puffs was studied by means of EM autoradiography. These regions show rather good coincidence between EM and Bridges' revised maps. The reduction of band number observed in the EM map was mainly at the expense of “doublet” bands. — Theoretical silver grain distributions were calculated on the basis of “universal curves” (Salpeter et al., 1969, J. Cell Biol. v. 41, 1–20) on condition that either bands or interbands are linear sources of radioactivity. From these curves the resolution of EM autoradiography was deduced to be sufficient with regard to the investigated region. — The results show that in addition to the puffs peaks of silver grains occur over the interbands and diffuse bands. The lowest incorporation level is observed over the dense bands. The possibility of utilizing the data obtained for the location of RNA-synthesising regions is discussed.