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The DNA content of sperm of Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract

Amounts of Feulgen staining in individual sperm nuclei of Drosophila melanogaster were determined with a scanning microdensitometer and compared with the DNA-Feulgen levels found for hen erythrocyte nuclei, taken as a presumed cytophotometric standard of 2.5×10−12 g DNA per cell. Under these conditions, the amount of DNA estimated for the haploid male genome of Drosophila was about 0.18×10−12 g DNA, corresponding to a molecular weight of roughly 11× 1010 daltons. From a comparable series of measurements on Feulgen-stained nuclei of hemocytes and epithelial cells of the imaginal soma, values of approximately 0.35–0.36×10−12 g DNA were estimated for the diploid or 2C male genome of this species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Ellen M. Rasch

  2. Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

    H. J. Barr

  3. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Robert W. Rasch

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  1. Ellen M. Rasch
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  2. H. J. Barr
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  3. Robert W. Rasch
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Supported by a grant to E.M. and R. W. Rasch from the U.S. Public Health Service (GM 14644), funds from the University of Wisconsin Medical and Graduate Schools, and an institutional grant to the University of Wisconsin from the American Cancer Society.

Recipient of U.S. Public Health Service Research Career Development Award (1K-3 GM 3455).

Recipient of U.S. Public Health Service Research Career Development Award (3K-3 GM 19054).

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Rasch, E.M., Barr, H.J. & Rasch, R.W. The DNA content of sperm of Drosophila melanogaster . Chromosoma 33, 1–18 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326379

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