ANALYSIS OF GYNANDROMORPH SURVIVALS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER INFECTED WITH THE MALE-KILLING SR ORGANISMS

The effects of SRO (Sex-ratio organism; previously called SR spirochetes) infection on the viability of gynandromorphs of D. melanogaster were examined. A fraction of gynadromorphs, most of them with small areas of XO tissue, survived, but the majority were not viable when XO nuclei or cells are affected by the infecting SRO. Apparently the replacement of lethal XO nuclei or cells by adjacent XX ones does not take place. Some possibilities are discussed as to the time and the primary site of the lethal action of SRO.