DNA and RNA Puffs inRhynchosciara

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Abstract
A comparative study of the puffs from the proximal region of the salivary gland, the anterior region of the midgut and the basal region of the Malpighian tubules, during larval development of Rhynchosciara angelae, was done. Besides the description of the RNA puffs in all three tissues, special attention was given to the examination of the DNA puffs. Some RNA puffs occur at the same time, or at different times in all three tissues analyzed; others occur in two out of the three tissues, and others are tissue specific. In this last case, the product of the puff must be related with the specific activity of the tissue. The DNA puffs occur only in salivary gland chromosomes at the end of larval life and the beginning of pupation. The chromosomal regions where these puffs occur exhibit RNA puffs in early stages of development. The possible meaning of the DNA puffs (gene amplification) is discussed.