Genetic Analysis of Drosophila melanogaster X-Chromosome Neurodegenerative Mutants Induced by Ethyl Methansulfonate and Nitrosoethylurea

In a series of Drosophila mutants with changes in the brain structure, some characters (reduced life span, behavioral changes, and neuronal loss in various brain regions) resemble symptoms observed in human patients with neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, similar specific phenotypes shared by different species suggest that common mechanisms underlie degeneration of their nerve cell. This study reports the results of a genetic analysis of new X-chromosome mutants with neurodegenerative changes in brain structure, which were induced by chemical mutagenesis. According to complementation test, all mutants were divided into three complementation groups, in which the life span and dynamics of neurodegenerative changes were studied. The life span of Drosophila melanogaster flies was found to depend on the state of their nervous system.