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THE EFFECT OF ENORMOUS INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION ON GENETIC LOADS OF Drosophila melanogaster VIABILITY FROM A SMELTERY OF HEAVY METALS IN MITROVICA (KOSOVA)
Author(s) -
Bajraktari Ismet Dervish,
Alija Avdulla J.,
Gashi Agim Maliq,
Muharremi Hidajete Sylejman,
Halili Fetah M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a1140-c
Subject(s) - population , drosophila melanogaster , pollution , biology , heavy metals , environmental pollution , toxicology , genetics , chemistry , gene , ecology , environmental chemistry , environmental science , environmental protection , medicine , environmental health
The effect of enormous environmental pollution by heavy metals on genes controlling the viability of wild type D. melanogaster in the region of a lead and zinc smeltery in Mitrovica (Kosova) was investigated. Also, the natural population of this species from the vicinity of Prizren, which represents an unpolluted area, was exposed near the smeltery of heavy metals for intervals of 100 and 175 days. The second chromosome of wild type flies was isolated and transferred either in homo‐ (+’/+’) or heterozygous (+’/+’’) state using the Cy/Pm line. Individuals of this line contain dominant mutations (Cy – Curly wings and Pm – Plum eyes) and long inversions, which prevent recombination with analyzed chromosomes, with the end result of stable heredity in the descendants. The highest percentage of genetic load of viability was carried by the population exposed to pollution for 100 days (45,5%), the population exposed for 175 days showed less than half of that percentage (21%), whereas the population from the region with enormous pollution had approximately the same percentage of genetic load as the control (30%, 27%). We propose that such enormous environmental pollution by heavy metals for 100 days exposure caused a high number of dominant mutations on genes that control D. melanogaster viability on the second chromosome. However, such mutations with their carriers are eliminated by natural selection after 175 days exposure.