EFFECT OF RIBONUCLEASE ON CROSSING OVER IN Drosophila

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Abstract
Results obtained in studies of the effects of ribonuclease and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on crossing over in D. melanogaster, using the w m f sex-linked genes, indicate that the frequency of recombination can be modified by either of these agents; that the intensity of the effect is a function of the concentration used; and that ribonuclease tends to act preferentially in increasing recombination within the m-f region, EDTA within the w-m region. The findings suggest that neither ribonuclease nor EDTA modifies the process of crossing over and recombination solely by direct action on the chromosomes, but that each causes changes in the nucleo-protein fabric as a consequence of alterations in the environment of the cell. The implications of the findings are discussed briefly, especially the possibility that changes in the physicochemical properties of heterochromatic materials may be factors predisposing to enhanced recombination.