Selective Effects of Certain Anti-Fertility Compounds on the House Fly as Shown by Reciprocal Crosses and Histological Sectioning1

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Abstract
Using reciprocal crosses and histological techniques. effects resulting from treating house flies, Musca domestica L., with tretamine (TEM), methylmethanesulfonate (MMS), and hydroxyurea (HU) are described. Appal ently, 2 different modes of sterilant action were involved with the 3 test compounds. As demonstrated by ovarian sectioning and by larval counts, HU seemed to destroy female egg cells. The "antimetabolite" theory seemed to offer a likely explanation. Histological examination of MMS- and TEM-treated house flies showed little destruction of either female or male germ tissue In almost all cases embryos were formed following reciprocal crosses but died in the eggs. The sterilant effects are thus assumed to be due to the production of dominant lethal genes as with irradiation and certain other alkylating agents.