Abstract
Feulgen-DNA contents and chromosome lengths and projected areas were measured in salivary gland nuclei from Drosophila prepupae which had developed at 25° or 15° C. Nuclei from a given prepupa fell into 3 to 5 DNA classes corresponding to different levels of polyteny. The 15° nuclei tended to fall into higher classes than those from 25°-reared animals, and their chromosomes were, on average, about 50% wider. Chromosomes within a given DNA class did not differ significantly in mean area, length or width between the temperature groups, and slight apparent differences in mean DNA content were attributable to systematic microdensitometric errors associated with differences in the spreading behaviour of the nuclei. On cytological examination, chromosomes from the two temperature groups differed mainly in width and stain intensity, but some other differences in appearance could not be accounted for by levels of polyteny. The mean length of the chromosome complement was about 400 μm. From one polytenic level to the next the chromosomes increased by about 10% in length, 40% in width and 17% in mean absorbance. The DNA content approximately doubled; small apparent deviations from the 1∶2 ratio could have been due to microdensitometric error or to underreplication of heterochromatin.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alderson, T.: Culture conditions and mutagenesis in Drosophila melanogaster. Nature (Lond.) 179, 974–975 (1957)
Alfert, M.: Composition and Structure of Giant Chromosomes. Int. Rev. Cytol. 3, 131–175 (1954)
Ananiev, E.V., Gvozdev, V.A.: Changed pattern of transcription and replication in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster resulting from eu-heterochromatin rearrangement. Chromosoma (Berl.) 45, 173–191 (1974)
Beermann, W.: Riesenchromosomen. Protoplasmatologia 6 D. Wien: Springer 1962
Bier, K.: Quantitative Untersuchungen über die Variabilität der Nährzellkernstruktur und ihre Beeinflussung durch die Temperatur. Chromosoma (Berl.) 10, 619–653 (1959)
Demerec, M., Kaufmann, B.P.: Drosophila Guide. Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication (1961)
De Tomasi, J.A.: Improving the technic of the Feulgen stain. Stain Tech. 11, 137–144 (1936)
Fahrig, R., Sieger, M., Anders, F.: Über den Einfluß von Zuchttemperatur und Glutaminsäurefütterung auf den Nukleinsäuregehalt sowie die Chromosomengröße und einige andere quantitative morphologische Phäne bei Drosophila melanogaster Meigen. Zool. Anz. Suppl. 31, 565–578 (1968)
Goldschmidt, E.: The influence of temperature on synapsis in hybrid salivary glands. Biol. Bull. 103, 67–73 (1952)
Goldstein, D.J.: Aspects of scanning microdensitometry. 1. Stray light (glare). J. Microscopy 92, 1–16 (1970)
Goldstein, D.J.: Aspects of scanning microdensitometry. 2. Spot size, focus and resolution. J. Microscopy 93, 14–42 (1971)
Goldstein, D.J.: Aspects of scanning microdensitometry. 3. The monochromator system. J. Microscopy 105, 33–56 (1975)
Hartmann-Goldstein, I.J.: On the relationship between heterochromatization and variegation in Drosophila, with special reference to temperature-sensitive periods. Genet. Res. (Camb.) 10, 143–159 (1967)
Hartmann-Goldstein, I.J.: A simple method for isolating nuclei from individual salivary glands of Drosophila. Dros. Inf. Serv. 49, 129–130 (1972)
Hartmann-Goldstein, I.J., Goldstein, D.J.: Effect of temperature on dry mass of polytene nuclei in Drosophila. J. Cell Sci. (in press, 1979)
Nagl, W.: Temperature-dependent functional structures in the polytene chromosomes of Phaseolus, with special reference to the nucleolus organizers. J. Cell Sci. 6, 87–107 (1970)
Rodman, T.C.: DNA replication in salivary gland nuclei of Drosophila melanogaster at successive larval and prepupal stages. II. Effect of growth temperature. Genetics 70, 187–190 (1967)
Schultz, J.: Function of heterochromatin. Proc. VII Int. Congr. Genet. 257–262 (1941)
Shiraishi, Y.: Differential reactivity in mammalian chromosomes. I. Relation between special segments and late-labeling patterns of DNA synthesis in human X-chromosomes. Chromosoma (Berl.) 36, 211–220 (1972)
Spear, B.B.: Differential replication of DNA sequences in Drosophila chromosomes. Amer. Zoologist 17, 695–706 (1977)
Underwood, E.E.: Quantitative Stereology. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1970
Wargent, J.M., Hartmann-Goldstein, I.J.: Replication behaviour and morphology of a rearranged chromosome region in Drosophila. Chromosomes today 5, 109–116 (1976)
Wolf, B.E.: Temperaturabhängige Allozyklie des Polytänen X-Chromosoms in den Kernen der Somazellen von Phryne cincta. Chromosoma (Berl.) 8, 396–435 (1957)
Wolf, B.E., Sokoloff, S.: Changes in the form of the polytene X-chromosome in Phryne (Silvicola) cincta — Causes and functional significance. Chromosomes today 5, 91–108 (1976)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hartmann-Goldstein, I., Goldstein, D.J. Effect of temperature on morphology and DNA-content of polytene chromosomes in Drosophila . Chromosoma 71, 333–346 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287139
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287139