Neutron-induced mutation experiments and total radiation-induced genetic damage in entire genomes of Drosophila melanogaster. Final report, November 1, 1967-August 31, 1980

Neutron-induced mutation experiments with Drosophila oogonia were conducted at the University of Wisconsin, with irradiations being carried out at the RARAF facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. X-linked recessive lethals and specific locus mutations were studied. Using the α value of the weighted linear regression equation for lethal data, RBE's relative to X-rays were calculated for the energies of neutrons studied. They are: 15 MeV to 2.0; 6 MeV to 2.9; 2 MeV to 3.2; .66 MeV to 4.0; .43 MeV to 4.8. The dose/frequency response curves for lethal data of all neutron energies studied was suggestive of a quadratic component. All data best fit a linear hypothesis, however. Control data for specific locus mutations was used to estimate the number of loci on the X-chromosome which are capable of mutating to lethals. Neutron-induced data for specific locus mutation was inconclusive due to the high error inherent in the frequencies obtained