GENETIC AND BEHAVIORAL INFLUENCES OF QUININE AND MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE ON Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Genetic and behavioral effects of both quinine and monosodium glutamate were studied on a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster from Tanta, Egypt. The main aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects (toxicity) and short-term effects (choice) of quinine (QUI) and monosodium glutamate (MSG) on D. melanogaster. Two concentrations of quinine) 0.2, 2.0 g/l) were used, and two concentrations of monosodium glutamate (10, 22 g/l). Regarding long-term effects (toxicity) the genetic load was measured to be 1.23 and 1.43 for lower and higher of quinine concentrations, and 0.49 and 0.94 for monosodium glutamate concentrations, respectively. Cytological study revealed that there were different types of selection regarding the inversions 2L(Cy), 2R(NS), 3L(P), 3R(Mo) and 3R(C). Inversion 2R(NS) was eliminated from the basic population after treatment with quinine and monosodium glutamate concentrations in fifth and tenth generations. Regarding short-term effects, this study used quinine as a case of a substance which humans report as “tasting bitter" and monosodium glutamate as "tasting umami". The doseeffect- behavioral functions (choice) for quinine and monosodium glutamate concentrations were showed. The influence of quinine on the preference was different in larva compared to pupa, while in monosodium glutamate case; there was no difference between larva and pupa. The study focused on the genetics and behavioral effects the results showed correlation between toxicity and briefaccess tests of bitter and umami tastants. The results lay a foundation for genetic and behavior effects in genetic model organism. Increasing the concentration of quinine and monosodium glutamate increasingly the harmful effect on insects, larvae and pupae Drosophila, also represented in influencing the chromosomes (inversions of chromosomes) as well as behavior change as the results showed.